Expectations & Revelations
by The Butterfly Defect
Summary: Dying sucks. Being reincarnated into the Naruto-verse? Don't even get me started. Self-insert OC story (AU Naruto-verse) (Dark themes) *Under (heavy, really, really heavy) Construction as of 3/5/2018*
1. Chapter 1

Death is a strange thing.

One moment you're breathing, heart beating, and then suddenly nothing. That's how it happens. You live and then you die, simple, straight to the point. The end.

Except that isn't what happened to me?

Sure, I died. Only I didn't stay dead like one is supposed to. Instead, I floated for some time, and then I breathed my first breath. Which was wro _ng wrong wrong. The room was too warm and yet too cold. Too bright, too noisy._

Death is a strange thing. But then, so is reincarnation.

* * *

Weeks pass, and I am taken from what I assume was a hospital and put into a place with many other children. It becomes abundantly clear that I have no parents, a fact I consider to be for the best anyway, because parents would only remind me of what I had lost. Thinking about Before is painful and often leaves me breathless, so I abandon such thoughts and instead focus on the situation at hand.

The language is gibberish, so I understand nothing. My vision is poor, making it difficult to see and comprehend the things going on around me. The only reason I know there are other children is because of the noise. I almost feel as if I can sense them, but babies are sensitive things, so I don't worry too much about it.

In the end, I decide to not worry about anything. It's just too much to process right now and I'd rather sleep anyway.

 _Three and a half years later_

I find out my name is Nao

There are many things I've learned in my short time here, things I honestly wished I didn't know. Learning the language hadn't turned out to be all that difficult. Hell, even learning to use chopsticks had been pretty painless.

Finding out that this world was not in fact earth, but rather a fictional place? That was hard to swallow.

A part of me still refused to believe it, even as I sat in a wagon along with other children from the orphanage, on our way to Konoha. It appeared there were no shortages of orphaned children in the Fire country, though supposedly it had been a few years since the end of the Third Great Shinobi War. The orphanage where I'd lived was overfull, and a select few of us children had been picked to be taken to the village hidden in the leaves.

I found this to be vaguely concerning, as those of us taken were all between the ages of two and six, an age group where not a single child would have been old enough to truly remember the horror of war, and the perfect age for potential academy recruitment. Perhaps I should have been more alarmed by the possibility, but as it was I still had trouble comprehending the truth before me. We were traveling to _Konoha_ , through the land of _Fire Country_ , located in the _Elemental Nations_.

And we were being escorted by _Shinobi_.

There were four of them, a full team, charged with bringing our company of 15 to the safety of their village. Everything about the scene I was currently witnessing screamed _wrong_ ; it was there in the green flak jackets, the shiny forehead protectors sporting the leaf insignia, and their eerily silent movement. Then there was the fact that our wagon was on a freaking _dirt road_ and being pulled by _horses_ , two things that seemed so out of place considering I'd just come from a home with modern electricity and plumbing.

It was little wonder I couldn't bring myself to be more suspicious about the reason behind my transfer; my mind was already in distress over the appearance of physical, undeniable proof that I was indeed living in a fictional world. That was why I, along with the other children, could not help but stare at the shinobi; the only difference being that rather than the awe-filled expression of my companions, mine was one of stomach-wrenching horror.

One of them, a Kunoichi, seems to have noticed this, because she approaches me. Shoulder length brown hair, purple tattoos decorating her cheeks, and kind brown eyes stand out to me in my hazed state.

"Hello," she chimes, voice clear as a bell. "What's your name?"

I say nothing, eyes wide and posture stiff. After a few seconds in which it becomes clear that she isn't going to receive an answer from me, the woman's smile grows strained. One of the caretakers traveling with us takes pity on her, and with a good natured sigh, explains "This is Nao, please excuse her. She's a shy one."

The caretaker is wrong, of course; I just preferred to be alone. Children were... tiresome, for me. I had trouble interacting with them, and the experience often left me drained; they were useful for observation and practicing my language skills, but not much else. However, that had little to do with my lack of response in terms of the Kunoichi. My throat was tight, leaving me unable to formulate any sort of reply, because the Kunoichi before me was unsettlingly familiar.

Nohara Rin.

Who, to the extent of my knowledge, was supposed to be extremely, undeniably dead.

Only she was very much alive, at the ripe age of what I guessed to be around eighteen. It was that observation that became the final straw for my small, delicate mind; I was less than four years old, breathing imaginary air in an imaginary world where deceased fictional characters were not as dead as they really ought to be.

So I do the only thing I seem to excel at anymore, which is shut down and go on auto pilot.

Nohara Rin glances my way many times throughout the trip, a fact that hardly registers in my mind, and is quickly dismissed each time. I am too busy drowning my thoughts about ninja, chakra, and the ever present fact that hovers at the back of my subconscious, whispering into the void.

 _You are_ _ **dead**_ _._

 _Dead, but not at peace._

 _Never at peace, because you aren't really dead, are you?_

 _You're_ _ **alive**_ _._

Hours later I'm still so caught up in my thoughts that our approach to the village gates goes unnoticed. Only when the wagon arrives at our destination and the children get out do I finally snap out of it and get my first glance at our new temporary home. The lot was spacious, fenced-in featuring a small playground on its left and a large, two story brick building over to the right. There was plenty of room for the children that ran rampant around the yard, climbing trees and playing various games as two caretakers watched on from a shaded bench near the building.

My group is herded through the yard and into the building, where we're introduced to our new caretakers (who welcome us into the "family") before basically being told to go wild and explore the place. Two of the shinobi that had escorted us went back out to unload what little possessions we owned, and while the other kids went about their own business I go in search of a bed, resolved to take a nap.

The gaze of Nohara Rin follows me until I exit out of sight, a minor disturbance in the sea of unsettlement I currently face. I crawl into an empty bed and pull the covers over my head, with the hopeless thought that maybe this is all a bad dream.

I wake an hour later to find that the world around me is still spinning and indeed real.

But that doesn't mean I have to acknowledge it.

* * *

 _Two years later_

A face looks back at me through the mirror, and once again I find myself pleasantly surprised yet mildly disturbed. Big green eyes and dark red hair are the most noticeable features on the little girl; she looks young and innocent, with her long pig tails and a pretty dress. Strangely enough, this girl is me. I hum a tune as I fix the ribbons in my hair, white to match the rest of my outfit.

Today was the day.

I would, for the first time in two years, be going out past the front gate. On that dreadful day so long ago, when I was no longer able to deny my existence in this universe, I found myself dangerously close to the edge of sanity. A conscious decision had to be made, action had to be taken or I would slip over that edge and descend into hysteria; a state one could not afford in a shinobi village. I made a choice then, to limit my interactions with anything that had the potential to trigger an existential crisis.

This meant never leaving the property, avoiding as much contact with shinobi as humanly possible, and avoiding the general direction of the Hokage Mountain among other things. The list was endless, honestly, but I figured if doing these things helped me in any way then what was the harm? The majority of my time was spent furthering my language skills, and basically anything that served as a suitable distraction. Books always worked well enough, and anything I read that didn't sit well with me could always be interpreted as fiction.

This caused minor issues with the matron running the orphanage, but I was hardly her most problematic child and with some insistence I could be coaxed into playing along with other children. In the Matron's eyes the fact that I wasn't entirely antisocial seemed to be good enough for her, to the point where she rarely made a fuss over me. That was how I'd managed to avoid the outside world for the past two years.

It was time though, I'd come to terms with my new life, and I needed to find out what the hell was going on.

As I prepared myself for what was to come, a strange sense of irony washed over me. I felt as though I was going into battle; white ribbons to substitute as armor and a deceptively sweet face to cut away suspicion. Not a war in the most traditional sense, but still one nonetheless. I focus on keeping my expression neutral as I make my way out of the bathroom to the matron's office and peek through the open doorway. The matron sits behind a desk, looking over some documents, and greets me before I can say anything.

"Good morning, Nao-chan." She says, startling me. She eyes me with amusement as I fidget, before continuing. "Is there something you need?"

"I… no." I reply. "I just wanted to tell you that I was going outside."

"Ah, alright then. Thank you for telling me."

She waves me off and just like that, I'm out the door and gone. I hadn't expected it to go any differently, as the other children living here often went outside of the gate, though they rarely gave notice before doing so. In Konoha, kids seemed to run free with little to no actual adult supervision and it was considered normal. the village was supposedly a safe place though, and there were enough well-meaning adults mulling around to keep an eye out for them. It was the reason Orochimaru had been able to snatch so many children, and they hadn't seemed to learn from that.

Once I was a good block away, I stop to take in my surroundings. Konoha was like nothing I had ever seen before. So colorful and strange, alike to the manga and yet different too. Hashirama trees could be seen throughout the village, and in the distance you could see the Hokage tower and the mountain, four heads watching over us all.

Hmmmm.

Only four, so it was likely that Tsunade was still gone then. That wasn't good, because if the third was alive then Konoha faced an invasion from sound in the future. But then, Nohara Rin had been alive well after she should have been; my information wasn't very helpful at the moment if it had so much possibility to be wrong.

I walk toward where I think the center of the village is, absorbing everything I see. The streets are made of dirt and people mill about, going to and fro. The atmosphere is genuinely peaceful and for some reason this surprises me. As I grow closer to the shopping area more activity is seen. What looks like telephone poles line the road and I can't help but wonder why. It's not like there are phones or the internet here.

Good god.

No wifi.

I enter a popular street filled with people, mourning my technological loss. At the very end of the road in the distance is the Hokage tower, so this is a sort of main street. No one bats an eye at the people jumping from roof to roof. As I weave my way through the various shoppers, my stomach makes itself known. I only have a few yen on hand, snatched from anyone stupid enough to set their money down at the orphanage; it isn't much, but maybe I can get a discount somewhere if I play cute.

I contemplate the reality of this as a familiar building catches my gaze. I stare disbelievingly for a moment before a grin graces my face and I skip over to the infamous ramen stand, ready to test my charm.

"Hi!" I chirped, boosting myself onto the seat.

I sit on my knees, leaning my elbows against the counter. The man, Teuchi, laughs at my enthusiasm and greets me in return.

"Ne, do I have enough for a bowl of ramen?" I ask as I dump my coins on the counter.

I probably don't, but I'm not willing to give in to defeat, so I give him my best puppy dog eyes. Teuchi gives a hum as he counts the money, which clearly isn't enough, and looks to me. I blink and tilt my head questioningly, trying to look cute.

"It's your lucky day, little one," he replied. "You have just enough! What kind would you like?"

"Beef please!"

Being small really does have its benefits. I watch as my bowl is made, the mouthwatering smell making my stomach rumble. Then it's set in front of me, and I thank him as I dig in. It really was the best ramen I had ever had, which wasn't saying much considering the only kind I'd ever tried had come from a styrofoam cup . Teuchi made conversation as I ate, and I happily joined in.

"How old are you Nao-chan?"

"I'm five." I managed between bites.

"Wow, you're all grown up!" he said kindly.

I inwardly sigh because really, he had no idea. I had to give it to him though; the man was good with children. I nod in agreement, mouth full.

"Where are your parents then? Shopping?"

It was an innocent enough question, especially considering I was alone. Most parents probably don't let their children run amuck… Well, civilian parents anyway (probably). I could say they were shopping, but that lie could come back to bite me, and since Teuchi was being generous with me I didn't see why I couldn't return the favor.

"Well," I began. "I don't have parents. I live in the orphanage."

"Ah, I see."

You didn't have to be a mind reader to know what was going through his head. I could practically hear "you poor thing". I didn't need it though, I was fine and the pitying look he gave me only hardened my belief. I finished my bowl quickly and thanked Teuchi, promising to visit again soon.

Especially if he was going to let me eat for such a cheap price.

I loitered about for a while, before picking a direction and taking off. It was best if I didn't stay too long in main areas, I really didn't want to run into someone I might recognize. Konoha really was huge, and I couldn't wait to explore. I passed many places as I went and tried to remember them for the future. People gave me strange looks as I went about, and I had a feeling it was because of my hair. I thought it was a nice color though, so I ignored those who stared and kept on.

One of my findings turned out to be a really nice park, with a playset and an open field. Unfortunately by then the sun was starting to set and I was a long ways away from the orphanage. I vowed to come back though and spend a whole day lazing under a tree. As I returned, I found some relief in the fact that there hadn't been anything bad to be found about the village so far. I was still wary of course, but after watching normal people go about their normal days, I didn't feel so frightened.

Maybe I could do this.

Today turned out to be informative enough, though on the flip side I didn't find out what time I was in compared to the rookie nine. I'd have to find that out eventually, but no point in rushing. If we're invaded right now there's nothing I can do about it, I won't be able to leave the village, and odds are I'd die either way so best not to worry right?

Right.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N

I just realized I forgot to do a disclaimer…

Whoops? Ah well, better late than never.

Also, review if you feel up to it, constructive criticism is welcome!

Disclaimer: Everything belongs to Masashi Kishimoto, except Nao. She's mine.

* * *

Chakra was fascinating.

It could be so gentle and soothing, but also capable of so much destruction. Those are my thoughts as I watch bark explode around my hand and scatter across the grass. For the past two months, I had taken to pushing chakra to various parts of my body, trying to stick things to myself or repel them. Finding the chakra itself had not been a difficult task; it was like suddenly sprouting an extra arm, strange and very obviously new. So far, I'd been testing the limits, having success with things like paper, leaves, chopsticks, and pencils.

The pencil never exploded on me.

I removed my now tingling hand from the tree and stood, wiping off wood chips from my person as I took in the sad state of the tree before me. It was now missing bark in various places, leaving an odd patchwork design that would undoubtedly catch someone's attention. With a frustrated sigh, I move to another tree far across the field and plop onto my back.

Chakra training is exhausting.

I had been working on it for a good while now, but finding a place to practice was difficult. Using one of the training grounds would have been ideal, as no one would think twice about any mess made in the aftermath of, say, tree walking. I couldn't risk getting caught though, and finding a little girl in one of Konoha's training grounds, playing around with her chakra, would certainly garter interest. I also couldn't do it at the orphanage for obvious reasons, and I wasn't willing to try it in the woods because if the wrong person caught me there it would be very easy for them to whisk me away without anyone ever knowing.

In truth, there was no easy solution to the problem, because not a single foolproof place existed in the village. There were shinobi everywhere, and I wasn't stupid enough to trust the civilians either. Everyone seemed to just eat up the bullshit they heard about the life of a Konoha shinobi; protectors of the village, glorious and full of adventure. It was becoming a serious pain in the ass for me, especially since experimenting with trees was different than leaves and the like; it was impossible to hide evidence of.

And I needed to hide the evidence.

I didn't want to be a ninja.

Shinobi kill people. They watch their comrades die. Who would willingly want to live that kind of life? People glorified the shinobi way to an alarming degree around here, but the truth of the matter was, it'd be a short life, and not a particularly happy one. So no, I wasn't interested in fighting for my village, and no, I did not want to become a great Kunoichi.

However, that wouldn't stop me from learning to use my chakra.

Now, most people wouldn't be able to pull off what I was currently attempting to, but then, most people weren't reincarnated into a world they had decent knowledge of. I liked to think I had a fifty-fifty chance of success, and even though those odds weren't exactly favorable I'd take what I could get. Under no circumstances would I allow myself to be left defenseless here, in a world that didn't live by the same rights that mine had. Becoming chained under the rule of a militaristic village was not an option, and neither was dying.

So here I was, walking the tightrope.

I pondered on my recent failure, basking in the warm sun. Sending chakra to my hands had so far turned out to be the easiest. Given my lack of resources in this life, I had only my own personal knowledge to go on concerning the workings of chakra. I wasn't sure if it could be channeled anywhere or if one was only capable of applying it to, say, joint areas such as the hands, elbows, knees, feet, etc.

Caution told me it would be best to not let curiosity get the better of me, to only practice with my hands for now. I was in an awkward position, testing the waters to see what I could reasonably get away with while fighting myself over the unending need to know all the possibilities before me. It was dangerous, and every time I succeeded it was a rush of empowerment. I had basically gained a superpower, and as an added bonus, a new body, fresh and full of energy. I wanted to run, to jump higher than humanly possible, to defy physics; and the kicker was, I actually _could_.

This world was frightening, but the potential it held was breathtakingly endless.

At some point I must have dozed off, because next thing I know, the sun is farther along than it really has any right to be and something is poking my arm. Blinking the grogginess away, I look to my right and eye at the hand in mid poke. As it retracts, my gaze follows, and I find a boy around my age crouched next to me. To my great displeasure, he stares unabashedly, letting the silence stretch and sporting a bored expression that seems to contrast with the gleam in his eyes.

I wait for him to say something, explain himself but the boy stays silent and when it growing uncomfortably long I'm left with no choice but to break it. "Can I help you?" I ask bluntly.

The boy raises a brow and sighs.

"You're in my spot." He says.

I sit up, glancing around at the many, many other places available in the field and point to a nearby tree. "There are other trees. Go find a different spot."

He doesn't listen though; he just sits down right next to me. I grumble, mourning the loss of my alone time. Children were so socially draining, and after messing around with my chakra I didn't really have it in me to entertain him. That said, the boy hadn't immediately asked me to play or anything; rather, he seemed content to sit still, an unusual quality to find in a kid. Even I had trouble quelling the energy in myself, an unholy mix of a growing, active chakra system and five year old stamina.

Inspecting the boy beside me, I had to admit there was something… familiar about him; eerily so. His coloring was pretty generic, brown hair and eyes, creamy skin and the slight flush to his cheeks that most children had at our age. He wore a ponytail, short enough that his hair spiked out of it, and his clothes were normal for Konoha standards, in a muted color as well. In fact, everything about him seemed almost outrageously ordinary, down to the blue ninja sandals that seemed to be popular with kids here.

There was nothing outstanding about him, and that's when it hits me.

Nara Shikamaru.

Not only am I lounging next to a canon character, it just so happens to be the smartest freaking one. Fight or flight instinct seizes me and I'm about to turn tail and run when he speaks.

"What's your name?"

"What's yours?" I retort.

Stupid. I already know his name, but I need time to sort out my thoughts. Why did he choose to talk to me? There were plenty of other trees, but he chose to sit next to me and to top it off, he initiated conversation. He clearly wants something. Isn't this sort of thing supposed to be too troublesome?

"Nara Shikamaru." He offered.

I nod and reciprocate. "Nao."

"Just Nao?"

"Just Nao." I confirmed. "Nice to meet you, I guess."

He hums a reply, and we go back to relaxing. Or he relaxes while I think about his possible motives. He couldn't possibly be this attached to a tree. We live in Konoha for god's sake. I continue to peak over at him, unsure of what exactly was going on. Shikamaru doesn't attempt to make small talk after that though, and I find myself relaxing into suspicious submission. Eventually, his stomach rumbles, and I look over to see a slight blush on his face.

It's such an innocent expression that I can't help but laugh, which in turn makes him scowl and mutter. Now that I heard it though, I realize he's not the only one who's hungry. Insidious motive or not, he was just a boy; maybe it wouldn't hurt to see where this went.

"Hey," I ask. "Ever heard of Ichiraku Ramen?"

It turns out Shikamaru has never had ramen before. We set off to change that, asking each other questions along the way. That a Nara could be so curious is surprising, and also strangely disturbing. This world seems to have a way of not being what I suspected.

"Your hair is red." Thank you, Captain Obvious. The way he states it bothers me, like it shouldn't be or something.

"Yes," I snap. "And it's a lovely color."

He raises an eyebrow at my sudden defensiveness but shrugs, and moves to a different line of questioning.

"Are your parents Uzumakis'?"

Ah. I see now. Better break it to him gently that I'm an orphan. Children are sensitive beings after all.

"I don't have parents." Yes, nicely done Nao.

Shikamaru appears taken aback, and he shuffles a bit uncomfortably.

"Sorry," he murmurs. " I didn't-"

"It's fine. I'm an orphan, it happens." Well, I was pretty sure I was an orphan. I hadn't ever asked, not particularly interested in the truth. Either this body once had loving parents whom died tragically, or they gave it (Me?) up for one reason or another. Either way, it was what it was. I pat Shikamaru reassuringly. "I'm happy and that's what matters."

The rest of the walk is spent in silence, though not the bad kind; an air of understanding forms between us, for which I am grateful. When we arrive at the ramen stand I hop up onto a seat and Shikamaru copies me.

"Good afternoon Teuchi-san!" I sing.

With a laugh, he turns from the stove and greets me cheerfully.

"Who's your friend Nao-chan?"

"Ah,This is Shikamaru." I grin conspiringly. "He's a bit rude, but I think I'll keep him."

Shikamaru sputters at this while Teuchi bellows in amusement. I struggle to keep a straight face but I must not do a good job of it because Shikamaru takes one look at me and huffs a laugh.

"You're going to be troublesome." He predicts. "I can feel it."

I hum in reply.

"So kids, what'll it be?"

And thus, a friendship was born.

I continued to meet up with Shikamaru almost every day for two weeks before he finally brought along Chouji. He must have told him about my parentless situation, because Chouji never asked or made any sort of reference. This was fine with me, and so we spent our days watching clouds and occasionally going to Ichiraku's. The boys would suggest going to one of Chouji's family restaurants but I always declined. I didn't really want to risk running into any of the Ino-Shika-Cho team, and Teuchi, knowing my orphan status, always gave me a good discount.

As the weeks passed and I successfully avoided any other canon characters, I began to wonder if Shikaku or Chouza noticed how often their sons were gone. Were there any parents who were actually concerned about where their children went? Seriously, this was beginning to look like horrendously bad parenting; like home alone bad.

I was starting to worry about their welfare.

"Do either of your parents ever wonder where the two of you are all day?" I questioned.

Shikamaru shrugged.

"Our fathers know we're together," Chouji replied. "So they don't really worry about it, as long as we stay in the village limits its fine."

"You know," I sighed. "I feel like I need to write a parenting handbook."

"What?" The boys chorused.

"Oh, nothing, nothing." I laugh. "Don't worry about it."

They both look at me strangely, and I stick my tongue out childishly in retaliation. Being a kid has its perks. With a sigh, I lay down onto my back, closing my eyes and enjoying the feel of the sun warming my face.

I found out a while ago that I actually was the same age as my new friends. This puts me around six-seven years before the start of the plot. In two years, the Uchiha massacre would happen. Danzo would kill Uchiha Shisui, steal a bunch of sharingan, and have Orochimaru implant them into his body. In exchange, he would look the other way when Sound came to invade Konoha. This meant that a lot of people were going to die.

I wasn't going to stop it.

I was going to let them die, and it would be out of my own selfishness. Of the many problems I would face had I actually possessed the courage to take action, the hardest would be explaining my knowledge of the horrible things that were going to happen. _Yes, you see I was reincarnated and before I died there was a whole series about all of you. Surprise!_

Because that would go over so well.

It didn't matter though, because in the end it all came down to one simple fact.

I wasn't brave.

I valued not only my life, but my freedom over the people of this village. It was disturbing, horrific, and it was the ugly truth. Still, I stressed about it; the loss of life, the unadulterated suffering that would ensue. I was not god though, it wasn't my responsibility to save anyone, and it was not for me to decide who was worth saving. People died, every single one of them, and that was life. For all I knew, reincarnation was infinite, and these people would get to live a thousand lives, or had done so already.

Their futures, ugly or not, didn't involve me.

That didn't stop the guilt that shadowed me though, weighing on my shoulders.

My inner monologue was interrupted when Chouji broke the silence.

"Are you going to Naruto-san's birthday party?"

My head perked up at this. Then the sentence registered and my brows furrow in confusion. Naruto is supposed to be the village pariah, not hosting birthday parties.

"Yea," Shika says, sighing deeply. "It's going to be troublesome."

Chouji hums in agreement and I tilt my head questioningly. I need more information.

"What party?" I ask.

"It's a party for the Hokage's son." Shika replies. "You should come; my father wants to meet you anyway."

"Mine too." Chouji echoes.

I squeak and sit up. They told their parents about me? What? Why?

"Why?"

"Why what?" Shikamaru asks, probably to be annoying.

"Why," I scowl. "Do they want to meet me? I didn't know they even knew about me."

At this Chouji looks at me oddly. "Why wouldn't we tell them?"

I don't answer though, because the sharp look in Shikamaru's gaze makes me uneasy. I fidget for a moment and shrug. Maybe because I'm just some orphan kid? I should have known they would've told their parents. It's logical, why wouldn't you talk about someone you see every day?

"So do you want to go with us? To the party?" Chouji said.

"I don't really d-"

"You should go." Shikamaru cuts me off. "We'll get a present so don't worry about that."

On one hand, I need to know what the hell's going on. The fourth Hokage should be very dead. But I really, really don't want to meet any other canon characters, and then there's the fact that Shikamaru was insisting, which always left me feeling unease. He rarely insisted on anything, so whenever it happened Shika usually got what he wanted. I could skip out at the last minute, but meeting parents was an inevitability if I wanted to keep my friends. Also, if this was a party for the Hokage's son, then there was far more wrong with this world than I had previously thought.

I did not like being out of the loop.

I groan and throw an arm over my eyes. "Fine, you win."

Even though I can't see it, I'm sure Shikamaru is smirking.

How troublesome.

* * *

A week passes, and my anxiety grows rapidly. I tried to no avail to back out only for Shika to throw logic at my flimsy excuses each time. Eventually the day arrived, and I spent as much time as I could procrastinating while also attempting to look presentable. As a sad, penniless orphan, I didn't have many nice things. I managed though, with yet another dress and the same white ribbons.

I was able to stall for about eleven minutes, tying and retying my ribbons just so, before Shikamaru had a coronary and dragged me out of the orphanage. I wasn't sure how I felt about him spending time in the place that I lived in; it was a stark reminder that I wasn't a clan kid like him or Chouji, just a dingy brat with no actual parental guidance. There was nothing for it now though, he had seen and knew my background to begin with. We met up with Chouji at the Hokage tower, and then walked towards what I assumed to be the Hokage residence.

"This is strange." I muttered to them. "I wasn't invited; I don't even know the boy. Isn't it going to be considered rude for me to just show up?"

"It's fine," Shikamaru replied. "I already told my dad. They're expecting you."

Chouji nodded in agreement and patted my shoulder comfortingly. As we grew closer I slowed, until Shika was practically dragging me by the hand. When we arrived at the gate, I was hard pressed to keep a blank expression. Whatever I had expected, this wasn't it. The Namikaze family did not in fact live in the hokage residence

It was huge.

Practically a manor, it sat in the center of a spacious estate. The opened gate led up to it, lined on each side by the most beautiful garden I had ever seen. Everything screamed prestige, and standing here in my "nicest" clothes, I already felt out of place. The boys must have sensed my urge to retreat, because they each clasped one of my hands in an iron tight grip, and proceeded to the entrance.

We had barely reached it before the door was yanked open, and we were greeted by a maid. As she led us through the manor to the back yard, I contemplated what was more painful. Being in such a beautiful place and knowing how out of place I was in comparison, or the death grip my hands were being subjected to?

Decisions, decisions.

Voices floated through from the back yard as we approached it, and seeing the inevitability of it, I took a deep breath and steeled myself for what was to come. The maid ushered us out and promptly disappeared, leaving the three of us to our own devices. The back garden was even more impressive than the front, if possible. To one side there was a buffet of food and a handful of picnic tables. That's where the adults were; conversing and keeping an eye on their wandering offspring. On the other side children ran amuck, playing various games and whatnot.

There were at least thirty adults all together, and the thought of having to play nice was becoming harder and harder. I could already feel the headache. Together, the boys herded me over to the adults who looked over curiously as we approached. Many did double takes and I could feel gazes burning into my head. This was hardly new to me though, so I kept my head high and continued on.

By the time we arrived at the table Ino-Shika-Cho occupied, we had attracted a fair amount of attention. Shikamaru took the lead, grabbing a hold of my shoulders and placing me between him and his father, unable to run. I accepted my fate as I was introduced to the Jonin commander, who faced us with amusement in his eyes and a quirked brow.

"Dad." Shika began. "This is Nao. Nao, this is my father."

Oh, you don't say?

"Hello." I murmur quietly, bowing slightly. I widen my eyes and give a cute smile. Time to put those skills to use. "It's nice to meet you."

"Ah, nice to meet you too." He replies, grinning. "Shika told me he had a new friend, but I certainly wasn't expecting a cute girl."

I honestly don't know what to say to that, so I opt nothing, shrugging awkwardly. He laughs at this as I turn and greet the other two members of his team. After introductions are made the three of us grab some food and take a seat back at the table. I commit half my plate to Chouji, who didn't seem have enough room on his. The adults make conversation and I listen politely as the boys snack until Shikamaru steals my attention with a nudge to my foot.

I look at him questioningly.

"You didn't get a lot of food." he states.

I look down at my half of the plate and realize he's right. All I have is some rice and a bit of barbeque. As I meet his gaze he arches a brow and I shrug in return. I seem to do that more often now. My friends are a bad influence.

As Chouji reaches over for his half I push the plate closer. Shika huffs in frustration, and grabs a piece of sushi with his chopsticks.

"Eat it." He orders, shoving the food in front of my face.

I scrunch my nose and turn my head away.

"You know she won't" Chouji says on my behalf. I hum in agreement, and Shikamaru gets a _look_ in his eyes. I flinch on instinct and scoot away from him. It doesn't matter though, because for every inch I retreat, he gets twice as close.

"Nao," He says, face inches from mine. "If you eat this, I'll treat you to dango next time. What do you say?"

He is in my personal bubble. I'll have to kill him now- wait.

"Really?" I ask, gaze narrowed in suspicion. "Is that a promise?"

Shikamaru nods solemnly, his chopsticks hovering between us. It's a dirty play on his part, sweet things being my weakness. Chouji's eyes go wide as I take a deep breath and nod. Quickly, I eat the offending food and swallow, my expression one of disgust. A shiver goes through me and the adults must find it funny because they all laugh at my misfortune.

Chouji shakes his head in awe. "I can't believe she ate it."

"I take it you don't like sushi?" Chouza chuckles.

"Actually, I hate all seafood." I explain.

Seriously, one thing I will never get use to is this world's obsession with sea food. Just thinking about it gives me the willies. Chouza looks outraged at my declaration, but really, I can't help it. As our conversation continues a couple of people approach, filling some of the surrounding tables.

"Is that so?" Inoichi asks. "I imagine it must be difficult for your parents to cook for you then."

Together, the boys' freeze as I pause, and Inoichi's brows furrow in confusion at our collective response. Chouji looks around, desperate for a change in subject while Shika takes action.

"You should see her when we get ramen," he says. "Always picking out the fish cakes, right Nao?"

I know that I should respond to him, just leave the orphan thing be. If I did though, people would simply continue to bring it up, they didn't know better and I wasn't keen on explaining it again and again. I didn't have parents here and that was fine by me, I was perfectly capable of taking care of myself. At one point though, in another life, I'd had parents, and I found it easier to grieve and move on when I wasn't being constantly reminded of them.

So letting it go, leaving it be, wasn't an option.

"Well," I chime. "It can't be that difficult, you know, considering I'm an orphan."

Awkward silence descends the table as those around me register my words. Not wanting to be the cause of it I continue.

"And Shikamaru's right, I do take the fish cakes out," I say turning to my friends. "But it's not wasting if Chouji eats them for me anyway. Let me live my life Shika."

A mutter troublesome reaches my ears but I ignore it in favor of my drink. It's their fault really, for bringing me in the first place. Conversation goes on, and I listen halfheartedly as I pick around my food and take the occasional bite. Just as I'm finishing a hand lightly claps Shikaku's shoulder and a voice greets us. I look to see the new addition to our table and nearly choke on my drink. Staring straight at me, in all his glory, was the fourth Hokage and his wife.

"Aren't you going to introduce me to your new friend Shikamaru-kun?" he said.

I've caught the Fourth Hokage's attention.

I'm doomed.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N

Thanks for the reviews!

Reading them made me really happy!

On a different note, I've been wondering…

Are you guys reading this on your phones or computer?

Disclaimer: I own nothing, except Nao. Still mine.

* * *

"Aren't you going to introduce me to your new friend, Shikamaru-kun?"

Meeting people you've only ever known as fictional characters is always a surreal experience. You spend so long looking at 2-D images that it becomes difficult to actually place faces when they're real live human beings. This had been the case with Shikamaru, as his appearance was nothing out of the ordinary and didn't tend to leave a striking impression behind. It was only the sharp, perceptive look in his gaze that had clued me in to who he was.

Meeting the Hokage was an entirely different affair.

For starters, the man all but radiated charisma; it was as though he retained some kind of magnetic pull, taking the attention of any and all in his immediate vicinity. This was to be expected though, especially coming from one of the five Kage. His overall appearance was striking though, and he was the kind of person that likely had left behind an impression no matter what his rank had been at any given time.

It was easy to see how Namikaze Minato rose so far in life at such a young age.

His expression was open, his posture invitingly relaxed. The kind smile and welcoming atmosphere he exerted would have set me at ease, had I been anyone else; it was almost a shame that a face like that seemed to have the opposite effect. My stress levels reached a new high as I acknowledged that the man before me was someone who could kill me without trying. Of course, the same could be said for any other adult here, and, at the end of the day, he was nothing more than a man and I a child.

Perhaps that explained the temptation I felt to ruffle his feathers. Children could get away with quite a lot, and the only thing I could think of in order to find some assurance, some stable ground, was prove to myself that the legendary Yellow Flash was just as human as the rest of us.

Really, I didn't have any other option here.

"It's polite to give your name before asking another's." I chided him, smiling sweetly.

Conversation pauses as those around us began to listen in. The Hokage, for his part, doesn't appear fazed by any of it. Amusement brightens his features and a chuckle escapes him as he crouches down to match my eye level. "Of course, where are my manners?" He hums, before offering me a hand. "My name is Namikaze Minato, and you are?"

"Nao." I eye his hand, giving it a hesitant shake before adding, "Just Nao."

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you Nao-chan" He says.

I nod and echo Minato's words before turning my attention elsewhere, hoping to end the conversation. I didn't have anything to say, and I could only hope his interest would fade after our introduction. However that didn't seem to be the case, and the hair on the back of my neck began to rise as Minato plowed forward, firing questions my way while those around us watched on. With frayed nerves and patience running thin, my answers grew blunter as our conversation progressed, turning down roads I'd rather left untouched.

"So, are you going to go to the academy?"

"I'm only six."

"I see. But what about when you're old enough?"

"No."

"No? Why not?" He asked. "Don't you think it'd be fun, learning to be a ninja? Going on adventures, helping protect the village?"

I sigh dejectedly. "Not really."

In my opinion, ninja were just too self-sacrificing, too quick to comply; I didn't think very highly of the profession, though I wasn't stupid enough to admit that out loud. My gaze wandered to the two empty chairs my friends had previously occupied; at some point in our conversation Shikamaru and Chouji had disappeared, though I could hardly blame them.

The whole situation was definitely troublesome.

Minato seems to notice the loss of my attention, because I'm brought back to reality as he reaches out and captures one of the ribbons adorning my pigtails.

"I like your bows." He comments, letting the material slide trough his fingers. "And your hair, it's a pretty color."

"Of course it is." I acknowledge, because really, my hair was _beautiful_ , and I would be the last person to deny it.

It's impossible to mistake the pride in my tone, and apparently it catches Minato by surprise, as he falters for a moment. Seeing my chance, I hop down from the chair and move around him, intent on making a clean getaway to find my traitorous friends.

As if I would be so lucky.

Laughter rings through the air as a hand settles atop my head. I flinch on instinct, batting away the offending appendage. Raising my head, I glare at the person, ready to give a lecture about the benefits of personal space and respecting boundaries.

Uzumaki Kushina stands next to me, grinning madly. This alone is cause for concern, but it isn't what has me frozen in place. Rather, it's her dark red hair, _exactly_ the same shade as mine. She peers down at me cheerfully, speaking with a tone that sounds suspiciously like pride. "Very cute," Kushina beams. "Kami, look at that face, almost like a chibi version of me, right Minato? Man, this brings me back, dattebane."

Minato says something in reply, but I don't catch it in my state of alarm. There's something… familiar, in the curve of her nose, the arch of her brows; something uncomfortably similar between us, other than our crimson coloring and translucent skin. Subconsciously, my hand goes to my own hair as a horrible thought surfaces.

Uzumakis are red heads.

As far as I could remember, pretty much every other red head in the series had been an Uzumaki, the exception being Gaara. Shikamaru had been rather curious about my parentage, in a way most children normally weren't.

But coincidences happen, they do.

There was simply no other explanation; I lived in a fictional world, and I refused to believe that my life could get any weirder. This was a lawless universe, with no respect for physics or common sense or anything really.

These things happened, they did, and there was little point in thinking about it.

"Hey, Chibi-chan, you said you were an orphan right? You live in Konoha's orphanage? With hair like that there's _no way_ you aren't an Uzumaki, dattebane, and I'm an Uzumaki, so that makes us family you know? And family is supposed to stick together; we can't just let _family_ struggle, dattebane. Ne, would you like to come live with us? Wouldn't that be nice? This house needs another girl, and-." I tuned out as she continued on.

Never let it be said that Kushina was subtle.

Trapped between the Namikazes, I began to understand how cornered animals felt. The urge to hiss or maybe bare my teeth emerges, but I manage to resist. I sense Minato's faint amusement as he watches the two of us, and the bastard doesn't even attempt to intervene. No _Lets Be Reasonable Here_ or _Don't Invite Strange Children To Live With Us_ or even _Stop Scaring The Poor Girl, Kushina_ ; Instead he just stands there, without a care in the world while his wife gets wild ideas and makes rash decisions.

To my eternal irritation, Kushina is _still_ talking.

"-right Minato? So, dattebane! What do you say Chibi-chan?" She says, looking to me.

I stare in silence, unable to string together an answer to her insanity.

"Love," Minato breaks in, moving to stand in front of her. "I think you may have overwhelmed her."

As he consoles her I finally spot an escape.

Thank god.

* * *

I flee in favor of finding Shikamaru and Chouji, but yet again, luck is not on my side. After a quick, thorough search of the adult half of the party, I start making way towards the playing children. A woman steps into my path, tugging gently on my sleeve when I attempt to maneuver around her, and I look up into the familiar face of Nohara Rin.

"Hi there," She offers. "You're Nao right?"

I nod in reply, at a loss as to what she could possibly want.

"Do you remember me? We met a while back; I was part of the escort that brought you to Konoha."

I do remember her (how could I not?), but I'm pretty sure most children wouldn't remember something that happened so long ago. I get the feeling that no matter my answer, I'll be pulled into whatever the hell she wants from me with no remorse. Still, it won't hurt to try, right?

"Sorry, no." I lie.

"Ah, you were very young, so I guess you wouldn't." She reflects. "It's fine though! I saw you talking my sensei a few minutes ago, would you like to meet the rest of my team?"

It unsettles me, the unhealthy amount of attention I seem to have received today. My appearance isn't exactly subtle, so catching people's eyes and the occasional double take was something I had expected; this was different though, and it set me on edge. What motive did Nohara Rin have, what did she actually want from me?

I wouldn't know unless I went with her.

Risk versus reward; I could decline and get out of here while I had the chance, or I could play along and hopefully get some insight. I risked running into Kushina (the horror), but I was curious what Rin meant by team. She wasn't supposed to be alive, but if she was, what did that mean for the rest of her original team? I might never get another chance for some answers here; and there was the fact that I could meet the famous Hatake Kakashi.

Despite my wariness, the idea was sort of exciting, and that sealed it for me.

"Just for a minute or two." I said sternly, taking a hold of her outstretched hand.

Thankfully, she led us away from where I suspected a certain red head to be, to a table farther back with several ninja around it. As we approach I slow, taking in each face and placing identities where I could. Shiranui Genma, Maito Gai, Unknown, Unknown, Yuhi Kurenai, Hatake Kakashi, and more unknown. Most have glanced our way before we even reach the table and chatter dies as I'm taken in and inspected.

"Right then," Rin gestures, "Everyone, this is Nao."

A uniform greeting is made and conversation carries on as Rin steers me to an open seat. I'm not fooled though, as I can feel some gazes burning into my head. These people were as interested as I, though likely for different reasons. Everyone seemed relatively at ease, glancing my way when they thought I wasn't watching. As we sit next to a slouching, silver haired Kakashi, a thrill runs through me and I find myself thinking this day isn't a complete disaster. He's already looking at me when I turn and greet him.

"Hello." I gaze up at him curiously. "Are you Rin-san's teammate?"

"Yes" He says, scrutinizing me as one would with an infectious disease. "I am."

I wait a moment for him to say something, maybe introduce himself but he never bothers; instead he just stares distastefully. Apparently someone needs a lesson in manners then. I arch a brow and my smile grows sharp, making him narrow his eye in turn, but before I can get a word out Unknown #3 joins us.

"Don't mind this guy." He laughs, clapping Kakashi around the shoulder. "He's a stick in the mud, always has been. I'm Obito, by the way. Rin's other teammate."

Dear God.

Dark hair, scarring on the right side of his face, cloth covering his left eye and a grin; how had I missed it? A dull throb begins at the base of my skull as I consider the possibilities. No Tobi in this world meant more repercussions than my little mind was capable of comprehending at this point in time. Obito continued to speak as I worked to find some stable ground. Why was this happening? What the hell was the point in my life here if nothing was going to follow the only freaking plot line I knew?

Being a person was exhausting, I was ready to leave.

"-And this baka is Kakashi!" Obito finishes.

"Ah. Well, it was nice to meet you, Obito, Bakashi. I'll see you around Rin-san." I manage to say as I turn away. After the briefest pause laughter fills the table upon my departure, and satisfaction puts a bounce back into my step.

One more glance around the party finds me no closer to my friends, so I declare it a lost cause and retreat, going around the side of the house and out the front gate to evade any further conversation.

Bed, here I come.

* * *

Long ago, in another life I recall hearing a theory that time is like a pond. Drop a pebble and it makes ripples, but eventually the pond becomes still again, just as it originally was. I had somehow gotten it into my mind that my current world was like this. That I would make some small ripples purely by existing, but everything would more or less remain the same.

I was so wrong.

First of all, team Minato was way before my time, so the idea that I could have somehow influenced their lives simply isn't impossible. That Obito is in Konoha with his team changes everything. No Tobi? No releasing the Kyubi. Which means no dead fourth Hokage and wife. So Naruto doesn't become a Jinchuriki, and he isn't despised by the villagers and is therefore unable to truly relate to Gaara. If sound attacks Naruto won't be the one to stop the Jinchuriki, so whoever does will most likely end up killing Gaara.

That meant Konoha won't truly ally with Suna, and Temari won't fall in love with Shikamaru. In fact, Naruto's lack of struggle in life will make him unable to empathize with key characters. Also, he's supposed to win the Fourth Shinobi War, and how can he do that without Kurama?

But…

If Obito never met black Zetsu, and therefore never became Tobi, is a war still on the table? Jinchurikis' were hunted on Tobi's orders, and it was him that bred the Zetsu army. Did Zetsu even exist at this point in time? With no Tobi, would the Uchiha massacre even still happen if the village isn't suspicious of them?

At this point, the bulk of my knowledge is useless. Orochimaru could be a children's therapist and Jiraiya a prude for all I know. It's doubtful though that black Zetsu was taken out or is just going to give up. The most likely scenario will end up with him possessing some poor soul and making him the new Tobi. Only difference being this time I have no idea who the enemy will be. I didn't know when they would strike, or how they would do it. I didn't even know how much time I had before the village went to hell in a hand basket.

I was as good as blind.

* * *

A/N

For some reason Kushina was difficult for me to write, so I apologize if there aren't enough Dattebanes'.

Any thoughts? Questions?

Please review!


	4. Chapter 4

Religion here was something of an oxymoron.

It was truly mystifying how it worked. For example, there were temples and statues of gods and whatnot, places where people went to pray and where monks lived. That could surely be considered normal, if one lived in a normal world. In a shinobi world though, what constitutes as divinity?

If one walks on water, it is hardly a miracle. So, what's the point in having religion or beliefs in gods if the people around you already defied the laws of nature? I mean, you would have to set the bar really high to find standards even shinobi were incapable of. Perhaps people feel more at peace, thinking things are out of their hands; man makes plans and god laughs or whatever. Maybe they're afraid of death, whether something comes after it or not.

I can attest to the fact that death is not the end.

Unfortunately.

But that's beside the point. I have never been religiously inclined; it hardly mattered to me whether god was real or not. He wasn't going to pay the bills anyway. The funny thing is, you could be on freaking mars, and somehow you would still learn things about Christianity.

It's annoying.

Everyone, willingly or not, knows about Virgin Mary, and Jesus dying on the cross. Every hotel room in America has a damn bible in one of the nightstand drawers. We've all heard of the Ten Commandments.

This brings me to my current problem.

Just because I don't care about god or religion doesn't mean I lack morals. Stealing is one of those lines I wouldn't cross, right next to flat out murder. All over the world there are people who work hard every damn day in order to afford the things they need. Homes, food, clothing, the bare necessities all cost money and a lot of times people struggle to obtain them. Stealing rather than putting in the work for what you want is wrong, and stealing from those in need is unforgivable.

Given the chance, I would gladly work for what I need, but as it happens, I'm a six year old, so that idea's off the table. It's been about a month since my alarming day at the Namikazes, and during that time I have continuously gone out of my way to avoid certain people, and by people I mean the Namikazes. One would think a Hokage would have more important things to do than stalk a little girl, like maybe run a village; but no, apparently not.

He'd show up at the orphanage almost every day, at unexpected times. My time there quickly dwindled to only going back for sleep in the late hours of the night. The Matron never questioned me, and I thought this strange but really, she was inattentive and, despite her warm personality, unsuited to this line of work. If I wasn't evading the Hokage I would have written a very stern letter about the inefficient caretakers here. If I didn't sneak into the pantry at night I would have starved by now.

But I digress.

Circumventing Minato was child's play compared to Kushina. The woman was on a mission, and regrettably, I was the target. I had to abandon several of my favorite haunts when she kept turning up at them, and it was only the beginning. There had been numerous close calls, where she would be right on the edge of my vision, but by some luck I had managed to keep away.

In a twisted way, she was actually helping me. Other than my new near constant paranoia, my training had increased by leaps and bounds. I could now crawl up any surface, and my chakra sensory range was twice as large. It was stealth training at its best, evading Kushina, and it gave me the motivation necessary to improve, especially as my current streak of luck probably wouldn't last. So I needed a way to hide in plain sight.

I needed to learn how to Henge.

The problem with this is that I can't simply go to the library and find a book on it. A six year old reading on ninja techniques? Because that doesn't scream suspicious or anything. Besides, I don't even know how to do hand seals or what they mean, and that seems like something one should know. So I have to find a book on hand seals as well, and the only place that's likely to have any of that is the academy.

The academy, located right next to the Hokage tower; the place where ninjas regularly hung out. The possibility of successfully stealing academy property from right under their noses is approximately zero percent. There is literally no way I could get away with that. My best chance will be to steal from a student then.

A poor, defenseless child.

It's beyond wrong, on so many levels. Then again, if the kid wants to be a shinobi, he's going to have a tough life. In a sense I'm just preparing him for the life he wanted right? Plus if I do manage it, isn't it the kid's fault for not being able to stop me? I'm not even an academy student after all, just a six year old girl.

My moral compass is telling me no, but my brain is saying yes. Technically it _is_ stealing, but it isn't as if I'm stealing money, or anything fundamentally important to said child's future, right? A child will be fine without the books; he may get scolded but otherwise it isn't a big deal. I would put them to better use anyway, and I could give them back eventually, when they're no longer of any use to me. Plus, I'll choose very carefully, not from any kid that looks as though they don't have to money to replace lost books.

I could just copy what I need and give it back when I'm done, too. Maybe I'd do something nice for the kid afterward, to make up for it.

Good grief, I hope I never have to kill anyone. I can barely stand stealing as it is.

I spend the next week scouting potential victims, perched in a tree across from the academy. Careful examination tells me that the first years through the third years all have the same textbooks. Fourth and fifth years have the same too, but the sixth years have an additional book. Not only will I have to steal from more than one person, I'll have to take from a sixth year if I really need that last textbook; practically a genin.

My first target finds itself really. It comes in the form of a third year brat, built like a tank and flaunting new training kunai. After watching him beat on a little first year boy during break I know there will be no remorse felt. I alternate between watching his routine and searching for an acceptable six year; preferably one who probably won't make the genin cut.

This kid appeared to be a die-hard bully. Every day he picked on the same first year, a small boy with sad brown eyes and white-blonde hair. His friends would laugh and join in, crushing the boy's lunch or something equally mean. They'd pat him on the back with a "Good one Sato" and generally follow him wherever he went. It always ended with the boy crying, and no one daring to help. A classic case of top dog combined with sheep mentality.

The teacher who watched over this break turned a blind eye to whatever the brat did. At first I thought he might just be oblivious or lazy, but at one point he clearly made eye contact with Sato during one of his campaigns, to which he just raised a brow and looked away. Something about this made me want to dig my nails into the teacher's eye sockets. Was there truly no adult guidance to be found in this village? Was poor role modeling a prerequisite?

I really wanted to know.

The Sato brat was twice the size of that little boy; he could seriously hurt him, not to mention the psychological damage that's already begun. If it wasn't for the books Sato carried I would have mistaken him for a fifth year. Something about the little boy reminds me painfully of Before, and I feel every hit he takes. Each day my anger grows at the injustice. On the sixth day I could take no more. After watching Sato split the boy's lip, and seeing him curl into fetal position as blow after blow found him, the teacher stepping in only when all is said and done, something in me snapped.

When classes end and the children began drifting out the gates, I slide down from my perch and follow Sato, a plan forming in my mind. Unlike some, his parents didn't pick him up from the academy. Instead, he and some of his minions tramped about the village for a while each day. Always the same route, towards the shopping district; where they would stop at a stall for snacks before continuing towards a park.

My confidence in their routine gave me time to go grab a dusty gray backpack from the orphanage's lost and found. I made sure to be quick about it in case a certain blond decided to show, and ended up at the park before my victim. I skulked in the shadows of a building, waiting for Sato and co. to appear; they did not disappoint.

Dropping their bags next to a tree, the kids ran off and messed around; trying to show off things they learned in class and typically being walking hazards. There were other children there so it wasn't abnormal for me to be hanging around. The few parents about were too busy chatting to pay any attention to me, but I was still cautious to stay out of anyone's peripheral vision.

I sat at the base of the trunk, on the opposite side of the schoolbags. Sliding a hand towards the pile, my fingers pull the black bag I know to be Sato's next to me. Opening it, the contents were hardly surprising. Half a sandwich, one measly unused notebook, and four textbooks greet me. I take the textbooks and, after a hesitant moment, the notebook as well before closing the bag. It seemed oddly deflated without its contents. I went through the other bags, taking the emptiest notebooks and a couple of pens before replacing the bags as they were.

My own backpack now successfully full, I stood up and walked out of the park. Today was a victory, but the drop of satisfaction I feel is brief, almost lacking. Stealing is petty, even if it was deserved. Then there was Sato, and the boy he would undoubtedly continue to torment. No one was going to stand up to him, I was sure of that now; he would continue on the same until someone taught him a lesson. Realistically, there wasn't much I could do about it; telling on him wouldn't work, and publicly humiliating him was also not an option. I wasn't about to expose myself either, not even for a down trotted little kid.

It needed to be done though.

With bullies, two courses of action could be taken. The first was to publicly stand up to them, and fight back. People like that want an easy victim, not someone capable of putting an end to their reign. I opposed this idea for obvious reasons, so that left me with one other option. If you aren't willing to publicly overthrow a bully, if you want to end the problem quietly then you need to make him feel something far more powerful than public defeat.

You needed to make him afraid.

Sato is easily three of me, but that doesn't mean much; I have a child's body, not a child's mind. Fear leaves a lasting mark on children, and at the end of the day Sato was nothing more than a cruel child; he could be easily dealt with.

Decision made, I stash my backpack and wait for nightfall. As the sun sets children head home, and one by one Sato's gang depart. The last kid walks with him, but soon they too part ways. It's dark now, and as always the kid takes a backway short cut rather than using the lighted streets. It's really nothing more than a narrow alley, and a creepy one at that, but he goes through it anyway because he's never known anything else; he grew up thinking Konoha was a safe, protected place.

He's never truly experienced fear.

You would think an academy student would have more common sense.

His senses appear to be sub par, because he just keeps walking, unaware as to my position or intentions. Sato strolls right beneath me and I jump from the fire escape, slamming onto him using my knees. He squeaks as we fall to the ground, him face first and me on his back. I use what little weight I have to pin his shoulders and hold his face down into the dirt. He jerks, trying to remove me but his hands are still pinned beneath him. I lift his face just enough to cover his mouth with a cloth and tie it, making him unable to scream.

He jerks again, muffled agitation. Maybe he thinks its one of his friends trying to play a trick on him. He doesn't seem to know to be afraid, so I give him some incentive.

"What's wrong Sato?" I ask with a low voice, holding his face up by his hair. He stills at the unfamiliarity, at my hostility. Then he begins to struggle, for real this time only to stop as he feels the sharp tip of something cool press ever so slightly to his neck. "Ah, don't move now, if we aren't careful my hand could slip and then it'd get rather messy, I'm afraid."

He whimpers, likely imagining a kunai or some other sort of knife in his attacker's hand. The reality isn't nearly as frightening, as the object he feels touching his neck is just a really sharp pencil. Kunai are dangerous after all, and the last thing I wanted was to accidentally maim him. Sato doesn't know that though, and its easier this way without him struggling. I almost feel bad.

Almost.

"Are you scared?" He shivers but I don't give him an inch, and a sinister laugh leaves me. "Good, you should be. You see, I've been watching you, and I don't like what I see. Do you enjoy beating on others? Ones who are weak? Like that little first year? The blonde boy?"

He moans, starts to shake his head only to stop at the tip of the pencil scraping his skin. I tighten my grip on his hair, pulling him up to where he could almost see me, if it had been bright enough. "You do like it, don't you? Having power over him? Is it really that much of a rush?"

I didn't need an answer, because I already knew. It showed on his face, clear as day every time he bullied that little boy and he friends cheered him on. I hated that expression, had been dying to wipe it off his smug face. I dropped my voice to a whisper and leaned down to his ear.

"You're going to stop bullying him." My tone soft, yet cold as ice. "Him and everyone else, because if you don't? I'll come for you. It will be in the middle of the night, and just as no one is here to save you now, no one will be there to hear you scream. Do you understand?"

Sato's body is shaking, and it sounds as if he's crying as he makes an affirmative sound. I think of the little boy with the white blond hair, and his shoulders that drew a little closer each day, as though he was trying to make himself disappear. I feel no remorse pushing Sato's face back into the dirt and rattling off his address, emphasizing which room belongs to him.

"I hope you do better as a person, Sato" my voice is sugary sweet. "I really don't want to have to meet with you again."

He lays motionless, shivering in silence as I remove the cloth from his mouth and get off him. A smell drifts to my nose, and looking down I see that he peed himself in fear. Still, he doesn't move, not even as I walk away. I don't wait around to see his reaction, instead retrieving my backpack from a nearby park and heading toward the orphanage.

I don't feel guilty, or remorseful for him; for the boy who took pleasure in making others suffer. I don't feel empowered by what took place either; what I'm left with is an empty satisfaction, knowing it was done and that the first year boy would no longer need to look over his shoulder. Sato was around nine years old, a child by any standard, and I had shoved his face in the dirt and made him pee himself in fear. He would go to school tomorrow with a bruised back and a couple scratches on his face.

And I felt nothing.

I went to bed wondering what kind of person that made me.

* * *

Three days later I find myself back in the tree; only half of the mission is complete, after all. At break, Sato isn't around. His pack seems a little lost without him, and they don't bother anyone. Instead they join some other kids in a game.

The little boy is still alone, but he looks… better, I suppose. He eats in silence and observes his surroundings contently. He clearly doesn't have any friends, and his expression is wistful as he watches the children play. This boy is quite possibly the saddest thing I have ever seen, but I am not a fairy god mother. I've done enough as it is, and even though a part of me wants to give him a push in the right direction, I know it's best to let it go. He'll just have to learn on his own.

The day goes on and the older students finally get their break. Rather than playing games they mostly socialize, girls chatting and boys showing off their moves. Right away I know I'll have to choose from the girls. There's no way I can take on any of the boys, and a girl will play in better if I have to act lost or something. A lone girl sits against a tree, but I quickly dismiss her in favor of the giggling group to her right.

Most of them wear ninja skirts and dresses unsuited to their future occupation. From here, they look pretty useless, but one can never be too careful. I choose a plain girl in a green dress to follow for the day. When school ends, she and some other girls all walk together, toward the main street in Konoha. They stop at a café and crowd around one of the outside tables, where they drop their bags and proceed to waste three hours talking about meaningless things like hair and boys.

Ladies and gentlemen, the future of Konoha.

The girl splits from her friends, waving a farewell, and goes straight home. I follow her for five days to make sure she keeps to the routine. It's truly depressing how predictable people are. Sato doesn't show up for school until the sixth day, and he keeps his distance from the boy, twitching nervously. He clearly isn't sleeping well, though he seems to manage okay, almost normal around his friends.

Classes end once again and I pull my hair up into a hat borrowed from the orphanage. I go straight to the café and watch from across the street as the girls get situated. The plain girl sits on the outside with her bag on the floor by the back of the chair. I walk by and discreetly grab it as I go, turning onto the next street, with no one the wiser. I'm almost disappointed in them. It will be a miracle if any of those girls make it to genin.

I go to the nearby park where my trusty dusty backpack waits and switch the textbooks over. The notebooks are pretty used and I leave them, for all I know this girl could be awful at theory so there's no point in reading them. Then I spot the girls wallet, and I begin to feel conflicted. She'll probably need it to pay for her snack at that café, and it isn't as though I can just dump the bag with the wallet in it. What kind of thief leaves money behind but not a text book? It was too abnormal.

I took extra care to bring the bag back unnoticed, as troublesome as it was, though I needn't have bother stressing about it; yet again I went unnoticed. Konoha's youth was far too naïve, and I was positive it would get them into trouble one day.

It wasn't my problem though.

The academy had to have low standards if those girls were still in it. What a sad thought. With plenty of time to kill, I head over to Shika's favorite clearing. During one of the many times I found myself fleeing from Kushina, I ran into the forest there and accidentally stumbled upon a lovely little stream. There was just enough room around it for a full grown adult to lay out, and it was a perfect place to stash things I would rather not be found. The stream, only about a foot deep, would be ideal if I ever got around to water walking.

That was a thought for another day though, so I settled on the grass and relieved myself of my burden; with all the heavy textbooks weighing down my pack, my six year old shoulders had begun to ache. I take out each book, setting them down in a row before me and examining each cover. Geography, Mathematics, History, Chakra theory, Beginners kata, and Weapon theory are my prizes. I discard the first three in favor of the others immediately.

I spent twelve years doing math, thank you very much, and things like history and geography would not be very useful at the moment. I would go back to them when I had a better understanding of everything else. Chakra theory seems like a good place to start, so I grab a notebook and pen, getting to work. I copy key ideas and concepts, making side notes for questions. This takes longer than expected, probably because I'm used to writing in English.

I decided early on to never write in anything but Japanese, and never anything incriminating in the event that someone gets a little too curious. Being left handed certainly doesn't help as I have to wait for the ink to dry or make a mess of the notes. I only get about a quarter through before the sun starts setting and I shiver. It may be fire country but for mid-November it sure was cold.

Putting everything away, I stuff the backpack into a hollow log and make note to bring something water resistant to cover it tomorrow like a garbage bag. It would be hard to explain why I have stolen academy textbooks if someone goes through my things. Living at the orphanage was really starting to annoy me. Only six more years to go before I absolutely had to leave. All hell would be breaking loose by then and I definitely didn't want to be around to witness it. Or participate in it.

Game plan: get out of Konoha before the invasion.

Be strong enough to protect myself.

Travel to safe places.

Easy, straight to the point.

At least, I hope so.

* * *

The sun had just donned over the horizon when I awoke and went about my morning routine. About an hour after sunrise is one of those strange hours when Minato decides to pop around, and having gotten my circumvention of the dreaded Namikaze duo down to an art, I was not about to give in to defeat yet. Desperate times called for desperate measures, I had gone two years avoiding contact with shinobi while living in a hidden village, and so if losing a couple hours of sleep and skipping a meal meant I was able to go about my days somewhat peacefully, then by god it would be done.

That is how I find myself making a hasty retreat from the orphanage after nabbing a couple rice balls for breakfast. As the sun continues to rise I wander the village, relishing in the tranquility that came with the early morning. A veil of quiescence had fallen over Konoha, the streets bare of all but the occasional early riser going about their days with only the rustle of leaves to accompany them. It was a peacefulness that did not last though, as the birds began to chirp and village slowly stirred to life.

I had made my way close to the center of the village by then, quickly cutting across it and towards a side street I knew to be a shortcut to my destination. I'd taken two steps down that path when a splash of green in the distance caught my eye; a splash of green that seemed to be walking on his hands. I paused for the briefest of moments, processing the scene before me, before promptly pivoting back in the direction I had come.

Not today, fate.

Not today.

I made it to Shika's tree in the most roundabout way, content to laze beneath it for the rest of the day; stalking children took more energy than one would think. The sun climbs higher in the sky, warming my skin, and it's only a matter of time before I doze off. I was hovering senselessly in the midst of consciousness and sleep when something faintly brushes against my arm. I'm almost too far gone to care about the familiar gesture indicating my friend's arrival, barely managing to open my tired eyes to acknowledge him.

Shikamaru lays to my left, gaze skyward. He watches the clouds and I him, an easygoing ambiance surrounding us. The silence is comfortable, so of course it does not last.

"You were gone." Though his posture was relaxed and his tone was deceptively indifferent, there was a displeased glint in his gaze that hinted he felt otherwise. "For two weeks."

I'd nearly forgotten that.

Acquiring the textbooks without anyone catching on had taken up the bulk of my free time. Unfortunately there wasn't any feasible way to explain that to Shika, and I couldn't bring myself to make up a lie about it either. Lying was a tricky business, one that could backfire easily if I wasn't careful; I wouldn't lie if I didn't have to, not when it came to such a minor thing.

"I was." I didn't offer an excuse and Shikamaru didn't ask.

"Chouji was worried." He doesn't say he was too, which is fine because he doesn't need to. That he even bothered to bring it up is telling enough, and it fills me with a rare moment of endearment.

"Ah, I'm sorry." I brush my knuckles against his in apology, and his reciprocation assures me all is forgiven. "I'll be more attentive, next time."

"So troublesome." He sighs. I hum in response, and we go back to relaxing. I feel slightly guilty for neglecting my friends, and vow to spend the entire day with them. Eventually Chouji appears, beaming at my lax form. He sits in the shade of the tree and relays his whole week. He and Shika will be starting at the academy in the spring, which he's equally nervous and excited about.

Neither was happy when I explained to them that I would be starting civilian school, but thankfully they didn't push it. The boys had seen my reaction to shinobi, which was usually a mix of distaste and wariness. Being the child he is, Chouji likely misinterpreted this as fear, but Shikamaru's ever observant eyes seemed to know better. Something about that made me wary as well. Noon passed, and the boys suggested we go to Shika's for lunch.

My meager denial went ignored, and I soon found myself at the gate of the Nara clan compound. As we strolled through curiosity got the better of me, and I slowed to take in the view. The Nara compound was large, lined with several houses and other buildings, with a forest peeking out towards the back. A few people were going to and fro, some greeting us as we passed. It was a rather informal place, giving off a peaceful atmosphere.

Shikamaru's house was no different from the ones around it, considering it belonged to the clan head. It was a strange mix of oriental and western, and as we took off our shoes I wondered how westernization was even possible here. Actually, there were so many things ass backward about the elemental nations that it had gotten to the point where rationalizing it was nigh impossible and ultimately pointless.

"I'm home." Shika monotoned.

"Welcome back." A voice said from further within the house.

"I brought friends over. We'll be on the patio." He replied, leading the way through the house to the back. He slid a screen door open to reveal a porch and gestured for Chouji and I to make ourselves comfortable before disappearing back into the house.

When he comes back out with a board my stomach drops.

"This," He tells me. "Is shogi. It's a strategy game."

I groan.

As the board and tiles were set up he explained the rules, and what each piece did. I huff but listen anyway, it couldn't hurt to try. Before we can start though a woman comes through the open door, a tray of food in hand.

Nara Yoshino had a stern face, and looked what I imagine a young Minerva McGonagall would. She was someone you did not want to disappoint, and I couldn't help the blush that rose as I was introduced and scrambled to give the appropriate response. To her credit Yoshino only gave my pig tails a passing glance, before smiling and greeting me in return. Strangely, her smile seemed to transform her face, brightening her eyes, and it was easy to see how someone like Shikaku could fall in love with her.

She set the tray down and went back into the house, and after I asked a million questions the game began. In all honestly I was very confused, but I figured it was a bit like checkers, so I took to capturing pieces and using them to my advantage. The king was important, so I was careful to protect it. As our game continued Shikamaru became frustrated at the carelessness with which I played, sacrificing pawns left and right to chip away at his defense. It was by some miracle that I captured his king, leaving behind a massacre of pieces in my wake.

"Ah." I hummed. "I think I won."

"That you did." A voice replied from above, startling me.

Shikaku stood in the doorway, observing the board. Behind him was Inoichi, peering around his figure to see what had caught his friend's attention. As his gaze slid to me I bowed.

"Hello Yamanaka-sama, Nara-sama." Hopefully that's the correct way to greet a clan head.

"Good to see you Nao-chan. No need to be so formal though, Shikaku is just fine."

"Yes, I'd prefer Inoichi as well." The Yamanaka echoed.

"Er, okay."

"So, Nao-chan," Shikaku said, lowering himself to my level. "That was an interesting game. What do you say to another one?" Without waiting for an answer Shikamaru moved to the side, leaving the Nara clan head to take his previous spot. Inoichi settled next to Chouji as I considered my options. Somehow, I got the feeling that saying no thanks was the wrong choice; they would probably ignore my denial anyway.

It hardly mattered whether I played or not, Shikaku would still win after all. With a sigh I nodded and together we set up the board. He allowed me the first move, and I used my previous strategy, showing more precaution this time around. Something about this felt like a test, and I was unsure whether I wanted to well or not. A Nara was not someone you wanted to make an enemy of.

Also, I'd die if Shika's parents didn't like me.

The game progressed, and the clacking of the pieces against the board became soothing as I grew more and more absorbed. Unlike the previous game, Shikaku forced me to change strategy and move my king several times, and in retaliation I attacked his army, stealing pieces left and right. My conflicted position over everything left me all over the board, making moves only to discard their original motives before switching to other forms of attack and defenses.

Eventually, the game drew to a halt.

"A draw." Shikaku chuckled, rubbing his face. "Shall we leave it here then, for today?"

I blinked, released from the trance I had been in. The sky was pink with the setting sun, and my companions were looking vaguely astonished. Part of me was surprised at the time, but the rest of my mind was still in the match; it had been… fun, despite how little I actually understood. Shikamaru wiped the surprise from his face and stood up, stretching. I followed suit.

"You should stay for dinner tonight." He said. "We're having curry."

"I don't know..." I wasn't eager to return to the orphanage while it was still light out, especially with the chance of a blonde menace waiting for me. I also didn't want to over stay my welcome. Shika shrugged lazily.

"You don't have to, but it's not as if you have somewhere to be."

Coming from anyone else, that might have been a tad harsh. It was Shikamaru though, and also true, so I agreed to stay. Chouji and Inoichi had their own families to go home to, so they said their goodbyes and went off. Our group merged to the low table of the dining room, where Shikaku took his place at the head. Shika lowered himself into the seat to his father's left and I sat safely next to him, using my friend as a human barrier.

"That was quite a game Nao-chan." Shikaku murmured. "It's been a while since I'd been able to play such an interesting game of shoji. Your strategy was commendable."

A compliment?

I shrugged in reply, unwilling to explain that I had been honestly winging it; I didn't picture that going over well. He must have taken my lack of response as modesty, because he laughs good naturedly and pats my head comfortingly.

"You did quite well. Have you played before?"

"She just learned today." Shikamaru told him, baffled.

Shikaku gets a look, the sort of look I see on his son's face when he's trying to figure something fascinating out. Such an expression does not bode well for me, so I excuse myself to see if Yoshino needs assistance. The open doorway directly across from the dining room appears to be the kitchen. A table for four sits to one side, and I ponder briefly on its use; really, what was the point in two dinner tables? The Nara matriarch is standing at the stove, stirring the curry; I clear my throat and she turns.

"Nara-sama?" My voice comes out softer than I would have liked, unsurprising considering how intimidating she seems. "Is there anything I can help with?"

A faraway look enters her expression, a mixture of hope and wariness, and somehow, I get the impression she's thinking of another red head. An obnoxious, clumsy one. Yoshino blinks and nods her head. "Could you set the table then?" she asks, directing me to the cabinet.

"Yes ma'am."

I set to work, and as soon as I'm done dinner is being served. None of the Nara sit formally, but I do so anyway, wanting to be polite. Light conversation is made by Yoshino, who must also be informed of my parentless situation, because she never strays close to that line of questioning; in fact, she appears to evade it with ease. The pleasant surprise on her face when she learns of my shogi match with her husband amuses me, along with the pride in Shika's voice as he tells her. We take turns discussing many things, and I find myself opening up more, expressing my opinion.

Experiencing a real family dinner- something I had missed out on for the longest time- gives the night an almost magical sense, and I giggle freely, light as a feather. Shikamaru, who'd taken to eyeing my food, cracks a grin at my beaming expression. It feels like a prefect day, so, as these things do, it doesn't last. As dinner ends a thrill runs up my spine and on reflex I stiffen.

A sickeningly familiar chakra signature was close and approaching fast. My smile becomes strained, and Shika, sensing the change, furrows his brows questioningly to me. Seconds pass, and just as I begin to think maybe it's all a coincidence, that I'm in the clear, a knock on the front door echoes through the house.

Shit.

"Alright, Nao-chan?" Shikaku asks as Yoshino rises to answer the door. I nod bleakly in reply, feeling too nauseous to give a verbal reply. I listen as the door opens and two sets of footsteps return, before my nightmare appears in the doorway, one hand on her hip and red hair swinging. My mind fights against my body's screaming urge to vanish from sight.

"Hiya!" Kushina sings. "I'm here to pick up Nao-chan." Her gaze zeros in on me and I shoot her a look filled with distaste and scoot closer to Shikamaru. He stares ahead with a neutral expression, but I know better; he's wondering how a troublesome situation rose from the otherwise pleasant night we had been having.

"I see." Yoshino replies. "Your timing is well, we just finished up."

"That's lucky." Kushina says before turning to me. "Right then, ready Chibi-chan?"

At this point I'm clutching Shika's arm in a death grip. How did she even find me? I was so careful! I had done so well, where did it go wrong? Unwilling to give in without a fight, I turn to Shikaku stoically. "Unfortunately I'm not supposed to go with strangers. The matron wouldn't be pleased if she found out you let a suspicious person take me, Shikaku-san."

It was a thinly veiled threat, but I wasn't above such things. Shikaku grimaced, probably at the thought of the complaint that would be filed. He was currently unaware of how useless the matron really was, and I would work that to my advantage; hell, I'd even write the complaint myself and send it in. Hope blooms within me as he turns to the women, but one look at the fiery redhead sends it crashing as his shoulders slump ever so slightly in defeat. The small part of my mind that isn't promising vengeance has to admit that it's a fair reaction on his part.

One does not simply deny Kushina.

By the smug expression on her face, I'd wager Kushina knew this. She trots happily over and pries my hand from Shikamaru, who watches on mournfully as our pleasant evening comes to an end. I barely manage a goodbye before I'm whisked away into the night, thrown over Kushina's shoulder like a sack of potatoes. She uses her speed as we go, hopping across rooftops. Her long hair mixes with mine and together they swat at my face until I can no longer tell the difference. I work in vain to keep my eyesight as we go. Before long she slows down, and I untangle myself from her hair as she throws a door open.

It hits the wall with a loud thwack, as she sings "I'm home!

Rather than putting me down like a normal human being, she continues to carry me through the house before abruptly stopping. Putting her hands under my arms, she swiftly holds me out from her, as if revealing a prize.

"Look what I found!" Kushina squeals.

Facing me are Minato, Naruto, and Kakashi; all looking bewildered. Scratch that, Minato looks vaguely concerned. Probably due my ruffled appearance and panicked expression; that would concern anyone really. Who can blame me though?

I've been kidnapped.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N

Thank you guys for reviewing!

I was so happy I wrote another chapter, so enjoy!

Disclaimer: Nothing but Nao. That's what I own.

* * *

I like to think there comes a point in everyone's life where they have to face their demons. It's a rite of passage, a part of growing up and something that, in the end, helps them to become better human beings. So I'm a firm believer in facing one's demons.

I just never thought it would turn out so literal.

My demon comes in the form of an excitable red head. You can run, you can hide, but in the end it will undoubtedly find you. Then, it'll to throw you over its shoulder and proceed to kidnap you. Never mind the fact that you've made your intentions clear, and that kidnapping is _illegal_. Hell, if my husband was Hokage I'd probably get away with a lot of things too.

Alas, I shall never know.

To be honest, I'm not sure which of us was more surprised. I mean, Minato had just been given the pleasure of seeing his _deranged_ wife parade around a six year old like the spoils of war; that would raise alarms for anyone. Then again, I had suddenly been exposed to a sight I'd never in my wildest dreams expect to find.

Hatake Kakashi in a pink apron.

When we arrived at the manor Kushina had gone straight to her husband, who happened to be in the kitchen. I gazed on in fascination as the famous copy ninja was domesticated by the will of a Chibi-Naruto, who current swung off the man's arm as he watched Kakashi cook. Prime blackmail material if one had a camera, though regrettably I did not.

Kushina seats me on a chair between her and Minato, keeping a firm grip on my shoulder as she greets everyone. Bakashi completely ignores my presence but Naruto is clearly curious. He releases his hold and trots over, climbing onto his mother's lap.

"Ne, Kaa-chan! Is this my new Imouto you told us about?" He asks, scrutinizing me.

Er… what?

"That's right Naru-chan; Nao-chan will be joining our family. Be a good Aniki okay?" Kushina ruffles his hair with a gentleness I never would of thought her capable of possessing and Naruto nods with fierce determination. No one bothers asking my opinion on the matter, whether I even want to be adopted. Naruto peers over at me and beams.

"Don't worry Imouto, I'll be the best Aniki ever, dattebayo!" He declares, resting a hand on the crown of my head. "I'll look after you, so don't worry, kay?"

Chibi-Naruto is the cutest thing ever, and if I wasn't so alarmed at how quickly the situation rose, I'd pinch his cheeks. As it happens, I'm in destress, so I brush off his hand and send Minato an icy glare. Isn't he supposed to be able to control these people?

I did _not_ sign up for this.

Unfortunately, it seems that years of living with Kushina have made him all but immune to the Redheaded-Glare-of-Death. Minato merely smiles and shrugs, in the universal "what can you do?" gesture. Somehow, I'm not surprised; Kushina definitely wears the pants in this relationship.

Still, that doesn't mean I'll give in so easily. Surely you can't adopt an unwilling child, even if there's a possible blood relation. There has to be a law somewhere about this, I mean what kind of-

Wait.

I'm not an Uzumaki. Why did I even think that?

Good god, I'm catching their crazy. It's obviously contagious, like an infectious disease or something. It's probably air-borne. I pull the edge of my shirt collar up over my nose, sliding my chair away from everyone. I don't get far before Kushina hooks a foot around the leg, halting my escape.

"Nao-chan? What are you doing?" Minato inquires.

"Creating distance. You are all clearly insane and I don't want to catch it."

Kushina guffaws, clamping onto my arm before dragging me back. They thought I was kidding but seriously, I'm concerned for my well being and sanity. There is absolutely no way I'm related to these people. It's clear as day to me; someone has made a terrible, terrible mistake.

Minato's expression is somewhere between slightly offended and mildly perplexed. It's a typical look adults have after conversing with me, when I don't fit neatly into their expectations of a six year old. I rarely had the patience to play the part, and if I was being honest with myself, I found joy in crushing the perceptions of others.

A social butterfly, I was not.

"Look, I don't know how adoption works, but I'm pretty sure all parties involved have to be _willing_. And sadly, it's a no from me. Now, It's getting late and I'm sure the Matron will be fraught with worry at my continued absence, so I should get going."

A bold faced lie.

She probably wouldn't notice if the children used me as a sacrifice for a satanic ritual. All of the caretakers were exceptionally useless at properly looking after the children; it was how I managed to skip dinner and return during the late hours of the evening. Now that I thought about it, someone really needed to do something about that. Whether it was lack of attention or motivation, the system these people ran on was unhealthy.

Minato gives me a sympathetic look, clearly aware that no one would be waiting for my return.

It kind of stings.

"Are you sure you want to go back? Because you don't have to, not if you don't want to." He says it soothingly. Kindness radiates from him, the sort that makes you feel as if you trust him, makes you want to give in. For a brief moment I want to, and I almost do, but something niggles at the back of my mind. Maybe it's simply paranoia, but my instincts whispered that something was not right.

Why were these people so intent on keeping me? A complete stranger? I might be an adorable, smart little girl, but I was also unimportant and a bit rude. Normal children don't talk like fully grown adults, so while I may be endearing at first, I tend to make others uncomfortable. Kushina couldn't be so desperate for family that she'd want a blunt sarcastic brat like me.

I brush aside a lock of hair as it invades my vision; I really need a barrette. As my hand tucks the lock behind my ear, a wretched thought dawns. Suddenly, everything clicks together, like pieces of a puzzle, and I begin to feel vaguely nauseous. It seemed so wrong, because the Hokage was the protector of the village, and Minato himself was supposed to be this stand up guy; adored by the villagers for his unending kindness and good deeds.

So surely I'm mistaken?

But it's so painfully obvious now. Why they were trying so hard to get me to like them, the questions about being a ninja. People had been so interested in my parentage, the color of my hair, Kushina especially so. They're trying to recruit me to be the next Jinchuriki.

It was the only explanation, and as this revelation dawns I begin to feel strangely betrayed. Despite their pretty words I hadn't trusted any of them, so why did the truth upset me so much? Disgusted, I look Minato in the eye, and by his baffled expression he sees it. This doesn't stop him from continuing though.

"We could be your family, if you wanted." He leans forward. "You could live here, and go to school with Naruto. Have dinner all together every night. It'd be nice, wouldn't it?"

Oh fuck you.

"Pass."

My answer comes out harsh, and it gives him pause. At this point what I want is to stab him with a rusty fork, but I manage to restrain myself. Minato opens his mouth to reply, maybe make a solid argument, but I don't give him time.

"I don't care about being a part of a family, I don't need one." Venom leaks from my voice. "I'm not going to the academy because I think it's a _worthless_ career choice. Now if you don't mind, I'll be going."

In my fury, I barely acknowledge the silence in which the room has been plunged into. I stalk out of the house before I can lose it further, tramping down the winding streets of Konoha. Anger reddens my cheeks and has me balling my hands into fists as I replay the conversation over again. How dare they? Attempting to raise me like a pig for slaughter, just so their precious son wouldn't have the burden. Trying to strip me, a child, of my freedom, my civil rights? Let them put the Kyubi in me, I'll burn the village to the ground just to spite them.

It takes hours before I calm down enough to stop moving. I sit on a bench across from an open field, exhausted from the emotional roller coaster that had been tonight. In hindsight, I probably shouldn't have snapped at a Hokage, but I can't bring myself to care too much. It was my own fault anyway, for being so naïve.

I had started to think they actually wanted me around.

How silly.

It's better this way though; getting too close to them would create problems. I have no intention of staying in the village anyway. The Namikaze family would have only been a hindrance in the long run. After all, it's a cruel life to have been born into; I knew it from the start. I did, yet for some reason when the blow came, it came as a shock.

I shiver against the cold November night, and a jacket falls onto my head, startling me. Sharing the bench is Kakashi, minus the pink apron once again. He stares straight ahead, elbows resting on knees. Despite the knowledge that he's ANBU level in skill, I still find myself annoyed that I couldn't sense his approach; I'd thought I had gotten good at sensing, but apparently not. After a moment of hesitation, I wrap the jacket around my form, welcoming the warmth while simultaneously suspicious of his intentions. A kind Kakashi feels like cause for concern.

He doesn't say anything, and I'm not exactly eager for conversation at this point in time, so we sit in silence; each waiting for the other to break it. If he thinks I'll be the one to speak first he'll be disappointed. I have nothing to say, and I'm the kind of person who can sit in silence for hours on end.

Eventually he loses.

"I never thought there could be such a thing as a quiet Uzumaki."

"I'm not an Uzumaki." I spit out on reflex. "I just bare an unfortunate resemblance to them."

"You're wrong." He murmurs.

I scoff. "How would you know?"

"Your chakra." He explains. "Normally, I would have just guessed based on your hair. I didn't have to though, because you've already unlocked your chakra. It's… similar to Kushina's, too much for it to be a coincidence."

The fact that he could tell I had unlocked my chakra makes my posture straighten, and I wait for the inquisition to start, but it never does. He doesn't comment on how young I am for such an achievement, but then again this is the Hatake prodigy. Poor soul probably doesn't know the difference between normal and abnormal.

I don't bother thinking about what he's implying.

"Why do you hate shinobi so much?" Kakashi asks.

It's such a strange question, so out of the blue that I have to take a moment to think about it.

"I don't." I reply. "Hate them, I mean. I just don't want to be one. Everyone acts as if it's a crime, like there's something wrong with me for having my own opinion about it. I'm just not interested."

It was true. No one cared why I felt that way; they only cared about trying to change me, as if I needed to be fixed. All because I had different ideals.

"You seem to surround yourself with an awful lot of them, for someone who doesn't want to be one."

Did I?

Technically I only have two friends, but they both come from ninja families. I never bothered with civilians, they were too small minded, too easily swayed. Maybe I did drift toward the shinobi crowd. Did that mean it was my fault, for not trying harder to make friends with civilians? They would never understand though; and as much as I didn't like it, I was more suited to ninja. However, that didn't change anything, I still didn't want to be one. I wanted to live a full life, and wasn't that the point of this second chance I'd been given? To live how I want, unrestrained, able to experience new things? I'll never get to do so as a shinobi; instead, I'll watch my friends die, and I'll commit murder until I myself am prematurely killed.

It's a death sentence.

"Are you afraid then?" Kakashi muses.

"Of dying?" I gave it serious thought. "Not really."

Why fear death if you've already died?

No, it wasn't death itself that scared me.

He turns to me. "What about killing?" His eye shows his curiosity at my answer, though I haven't the faintest idea why. I pause to gather my thoughts.

"If it was between me and someone trying to kill me, I think I could do it. But that's not how it goes all the time right? Sometimes it's just someone on the wrong side of the border. Everyone is so willing to kill or die in battle, but no one ever questions why. What are we fighting for? Willing to end another's life for?"

For a moment Kakashi says nothing, and I ponder on whether I've gone too far.

"Mmm. That's an interesting thought." He leaves it at that, falling back into silence.

The sky begins to lighten with the promise of dawn. Part of me wonders if he'll tell the Hokage about the conversation, but somehow, I get the feeling he won't. Something has changed between us, in the span of our conversation; as though the two of us have come to an understanding that maybe, just maybe, we aren't so different after all.

Exhaustion kicks in as we watch the sun peak over the horizon, and I soon find myself drifting to sleep.

Maybe Kakashi isn't too much of an asshole after all.

* * *

November faded into December, and the temperature continued to drop. At night it was so cold you could see your breath. So far I had yet to see any of the Namikaze family, for which I was grateful. Losing my temper so quickly made me embarrassed. I was beginning to learn that despite my adult mind, my body continued to react like a normal child's would.

For once, the Matron had done something right, and we had spontaneously received more funding. All the children at the orphanage were now equipped with winter clothes. I had my suspicions that there was some unseen force at work, mostly because Shikaku had caught me running around in garments unsuited for winter, and under his disapproving stare I'd had to explain that my warmer clothes no long fit and how I hadn't been given anything warmer.

I wasn't complaining either way.

As the days grew shorter I had less time to work on my textbooks. Chakra theory turned out to be a breeze compared to hand seals, but god they were both so interesting and I often had a hard time putting the books down. The cold air certainly did not help when it came to practicing hand seals, making my fingers stiff and unable to move into the proper positions. I mostly worked on the theory instead, practicing the seals at night under the safety of my blanket.

Twice a week I would have dinner at the Nara compound. Without my noticing, it became something of a habit. I'd set the table, we'd all sit down to eat, have a wonderful time, and after I would help with the dishes before heading back to the orphanage. I hadn't had to play against Shikaku since the first time, which was a blessing. I was careful to keep away from any and all shoji games whenever I went over.

On nights where we lost track of time and it became late, Shikamaru would insist on walking me back. As if his little six year old self could protect me. His father must have had similar thoughts, because he'd trail us from the rooftops. These days were always my favorite. Weeks passed and the peaceful atmosphere continued.

I should have known it was too good to last.

The day everything changed started off on a bad note. I managed to accidentally sleep in for the first time in months, and so I woke up to the usual chaotic morning at the orphanage. Children ran wild, screeching and bouncing off the walls until someone released them into the front yard. The kitchens would be a complete battle zone once everyone was up, and if you sat next to the younger ones it would be a miracle if you consumed more food than you ended up wearing.

Rather than struggle for hot water or a meal, I instead dressed at the speed of light and made a break for the door. When you live as I do, you learn to pick your battles. With an empty stomach, I made my way to Shika's tree. It was a cold, cloudy day, and I couldn't imagine finding him outside in such weather, but I was optimistic.

Of course, when I arrived he was nowhere to be found. It was positively freezing today, and I was probably the only idiot hanging around outside. An unfortunate truth. With nothing better to do, I wandered the streets, using my body heat to keep warm. By now, I knew Konoha like the back of my hand, so these days I was more prone to getting lost in my thoughts.

After falling asleep on that bench so long ago, I had woken up in my bed. It was disconcerting to imagine that a jerk like Kakashi had carried me all the way back, but it had happened. Since then, I hadn't seen him, and a small voice in my mind said he was avoiding me. This made little sense considering we never bumped into one another either way, so there would be no point. I had tried in vain multiple times to sense his chakra, just to see if I could, but the village was huge and I had no way of knowing if he was even in it. However, part of me often wondered about that; lately, for some reason I had a paranoid feeling that he was around and just out of sight.

If he was though, I'd be the last to know.

A loud splash interrupted my musings, and I looked to my left. Down a flight of stone steps was a lake, with a wooden pier leading out onto it. At the edge of the pier was a bento box, and the water below rippled as if something had been dropped in.

Someone had fallen into the water.

I paused in sheer disbelief –who the hell went near the water in _winter_? – and then my body was moving on it own, tripping down the stairs, ripping off my coat and slipping out of my shoes in the process. My feet slammed against the wooden planks to the edge, and I stopped for less than a second to confirm that there really was someone in the water before diving in.

The water was cold, painfully so and it was a shock to my system. I wanted to jump right out, and had I not caught sight of the kid struggling against the weight of their clothes, I might have. I swam down, against the chilling water and caught ahold of the child's outstretched hand. I kicked and pulled until our heads broke through the surface, but we were being weighed down. The child was coughing, and seemed to have enough sense to realize the problem as they shrugged out of their coat and clung to my side.

The pier had no latter to climb, and it was higher than I would be able to get onto, so with one hand on the kid and the other on the edge of the planks, I slowing dragged us to the safety of the shore. We hopped out of the water, shivering, and I finally got a good look at the waterlogged child. He was about my age, with dark hair and equally dark eyes. His skin was an unhealthy pale shade, probably due to his near drowning in arctic conditions.

"Are you okay?" I wheezed out between breaths.

The boy met my eyes, a blush bringing some color to his skin and nodded. Then his expression twisted into a pout, and he said with insistence. "I was doing fine, I didn't need your help."

"Oh?" I deadpanned. "Do you often go swimming in the middle of winter then?"

The boy sputtered in indignation, but didn't say anything.

"Well, whatever. I'm Nao." I tell him. "What's your name?"

"Sasuke." He replies.

Of course it is. Because this day hasn't been weird enough; gotta fill the daily quota and all. My ability to run into people I don't want to meet is almost as astounding as my inability to find anyone I actually need. It is truly a talent. I debate the best way to leave without seeming rude, because this was yet another example of the universe attempting to make my life even more troublesome and I was not about to play along. In the end though, it's clearly a lost cause.

Sasuke must sense my reluctance to stick around, because after putting on my shoes and lending him my jacket, he proceeds to make things difficult by attempting to drag me toward the Uchiha compound. Admittedly, it's the closest place we could go considering we were on the outer parts of the village and we would probably die of frostbite if we sat around any longer.

But still.

We're halfway up the steps when something unexpected happens.

An alarm sounds, Unfamiliar to my ears and followed by a series of booms in the distance. The panic feeling of the villagers is immediate, the fear tangible even from here. From above the trees smoke rises in several places. Something is wrong, any idiot can see that, but my mind goes blank, begins to shut down at the cacophony of destruction. The shrill alarm keeps going, and though I don't understand what it means Sasuke apparently does. He grabs my hand and starts running in the opposite direct of his home.

"Wait! You're going the wrong way!" I yell over the noise, pulling us to a stop. We were headed towards the smoke and screams, rather than away from it. This kid was going to get us killed.

"No you idiot! We have to go to the mountain! We're under attack!" He replies, tugging us forward.

What?

No, that wasn't right, Konoha wasn't supposed to be attacked right now. My brain goes into overdrive as Sasuke leads us. This can't be happening. We're supposed to be safe. Could it be a drill? A sick joke? No, the air is different, almost heavy in a horribly familiar way. If Konoha is under attack then Sasuke, being an Uchiha, is a target and by association that made me a target as well. Was it safe to stay with him then? As long as he keeps the jacket on it will hide his clan symbol, with no one the wiser so we'd be okay then.

Oh god.

Okay.

Breathe Nao.

Twenty feet in front of us a building explodes, and Sasuke shoves us to the ground. Debris flies everywhere and the air fills with smoke. My ears are ringing as I look up to see our path blocked and no longer an option. We get up and run in the other direction, through the smoke and right into enemy hands.

Two ninja stare at us disbelievingly, as though they couldn't believe their luck. A chill runs down my spine, during the brief second before they attack. As I'm shoved to the ground and my arms are being held behind my back I meet Sasuke's gaze. The fear written plainly on his face reflected my own. He struggled hopelessly for a moment before the man holding him smashed the handle of a kunai against his head, hard. My shriek was muffled by a hand, and in desperation I bit into it, tearing off flesh and spitting it out. My captor snarled and withdrew his new injury, but before I get a chance to scream there's a flare of pain to the back of my head.

And then nothing.

* * *

I awaken to the smell of smoke and metal, disoriented. I blink the world into focus, trying to get a sense of my surroundings. A dull throbbing begins at the base of my skull, and I a moan I touch the sore spot, my fingers coming away bloody.

Not good.

"You're awake." A voice says.

I look up into the face of the shinobi from before. A whimper escapes me as I attempt to get away, only for my back to hit a wall. We were in a cave, a fire going to the side. There was no sign of the other ninja, who had given me my injury. To my right was Sasuke, currently knocked out. The jacket was gone, leaving his clan symbol proudly displayed across his back. For a brief moment I can do nothing but stare at the red and white fan hatefully; how stupid did you have to be, putting a target like that on a child's back? Couldn't they wait until said kids were graduated from the academy and had a slim chance of defending themselves?

Were clans really that obnoxious about their pride?

Our captor nudged me with his foot, catching my attention. I turned back to him, searching for any sign of what village he belonged to. He was rather generic, brown hair and brown eyes. Nothing about him really stood out either; black clothes and no hitai-ate in sight. Over all, the man was completely forgettable, and somehow I found myself thinking that surely this would not be my end, not at the hands of a nobody like him.

When our gazes collide he sneers.

"Listen up, brat. We know you're the Red-Hot Habanero's kid. Uzumakis are a rare breed, so we'll keep you alive. But if you make trouble for us? Well, we don't exactly need you in one piece. Got it?"

Red-Hot Habanero?

What the hell is a habanero?

Did he just imply that they were going to breed me like an animal?

I stare at the man passively and this seems to satisfy him because he walks away, sitting by the fire facing his back to me. A quick glance to my left shows the exit. Night had fallen at some point and it was raining; thankfully my clothes had dried. It was too dark to see anything outside, but I prayed we were still in fire country. With the attack it could take the village a while to realize we were missing. That is, if the village is still standing. Realistically, anything could have happened and right now I had no idea about Konoha's state.

When the Uchiha clan finds its youngest heir missing, they will definitely send out reinforcements. Itachi would come for Sasuke no matter what, and it made me glad that he had been kidnapped as well; if Konoha was still kicking, Sasuke was my insurance. I crawled over to his side, putting his head in my lap. There was blood on him as well, but not nearly the amount I had. There was dry blood around my mouth from where i'd bitten into the foreign ninja, and had the situation been any less stressful I might have gagged at the thought of someone else's blood on my face.

As it was though, I didn't have the energy to focus on it.

An hour goes by, and slowly a plan forms in my mind. We had no idea how much time had passed since our capture, and we couldn't afford to get any further from the village. I wasn't sure if we could wait around on the hope that Konoha would be able to spare people to find us either. In order to launch an somewhat successful attack on Konoha, these people would need serious man power, and that meant they likely came from a powerful village. If we made it to wherever these people planned on taking us, we were done, we'd never make it out alive.

So we couldn't wait to be rescued.

Our captors were rather lax, they hadn't even bothered to tie us up. My sensing range might not have been the best, but as far as I could tell Mr. Generic sitting by the fire was the only other person around for a half mile. We weren't bound, and our enemy was down to one; this was as favorable as our odds would get, an opportunity we could not waste.

Right.

What did I have to work with here then?

The only weapons I had were underestimation and the element of surprise. Odds were I could calmly walk right up to the guy without being seen as a threat, but he'd never let me near any actual weapons. That didn't leave me with many options, any attack I made would be seen coming, not to mention that in the highly unlikely event that we manage to escape, we haven't a single clue which direction Konoha was in. It was nighttime and raining out, so we'd have no choice other than to pick a direction and run like hell with the hope that it was the right way to go.

If we even made it out of here.

Beside me Sasuke stirs. His eyes drift open and meet mine; dread takes over his features and his mouth opens. I cover it with my hand, holding a finger against my own. We can't draw attention to us just yet. He nods in understanding and I let go, turning my gaze to the man. He was crouched in front of the fire, feeding it some more kindling. Sasuke was awake, and mr. generic wasn't in a steady position, crouching like that; he could easily fall and get burned.

In the dirt of the ground I write for Sasuke to be ready to run. He shoots me a panicked look but I ignore it in favor of concentrating chakra into my hands and feet. At such a young age, my chakra is small enough to be written off. Our captor doesn't even look up as I make a slow ascent up the wall and onto the ceiling. I keep moving, honestly just waiting to be caught; stealth was my greatest strength at this point, my skills honed from months of evading a certain power couple. I reach my position almost above him and right out of sight, with a single thought in my mind.

This is such a stupid idea.

I drop down onto his shoulders, catching him off guard and pushing us into the fire. He screams, covering his face and scrambling away from the heat, which prevents him from seeing Sasuke as he dashes out the exit. The tips of my hair are singed and the cavern smells of burning flesh, but I don't run, not yet. Mr. generic is on the ground, still screaming and in too much pain to notice me coming; I aim one kick, as hard as I possibly can, at his head and then he's silent, clothes still burning.

I meet Sasuke outside, and amidst the pouring rain he gestures to the trees around us. Familiar, meaning we were most likely still in fire country.

If only I'd taken a look at that geography textbook.

Time was of the essence, and without a definitive way to guide us, a direction was chosen and we ran. It was a slippery, and occasionally one of us had to pick up the other, but not once did we stop. The rain was a blessing and a curse. It would make it harder for the enemy to track us, but it also lessened our chances of Konoha finding us. We kept moving for hours, shivering and soaked to the bone. Eventually the rain stopped, and Sasuke wanted to too, but I made us keep going. We needed to put as much distance between us and them as possible.

At dawn, on the verge of collapse, we finally found a place to rest. Under the roots of a large tree was a hollowed out space. It was small but if we curled up we would both fit into it. Once inside, Sasuke fell right to sleep. I was not as lucky. Every noise woke me from the light doze I managed, and eventually I gave up all together. We were wet, cold, and hungry. I hadn't eaten the morning we were taken, and it had been at least over twenty four hours since then. My chakra wasn't recovered yet and we had no method of finding food.

It was unlikely we would get far without adequate substance. My body certainly wouldn't be inclined to make it, but then, our chances were already shitty to begin with. We were out now, but how long could we run before one of those foreign ninja caught up to us? And even if we managed to evade them, what then? Every village in fire country would know about the attack soon, and they would likely all be civilians, unable to protect us if we went to them for shelter. We could look for a Konoha outpost along the border, but how far would that be? None of this matter if we couldn't keep out our strength though; the sun would begin to set soon, so I squirmed out of the tree and set out. Berries and mushrooms would not do, especially considering I can't tell what's poisonous or not. I don't wander too far from the tree, and my search comes up empty as the forest darkens.

I return to wake Sasuke, only to stop several meters away. A chakra signature was approaching, and fast. I wasn't familiar enough with our captors to recognize their signatures, but there was little doubt in my mind it was them. I could get to Sasuke before them, we could try to hide; I was good at hiding, after all.

But Sasuke wasn't.

We would be found if I went to him, this I knew.

If I made a run for it now though, if Sasuke wasn't there to hold me back, I had a fair chance of making it. I was faster, had a decent handle on my chakra, and I was definitely smarter. My chances of escape were far better than his, and I could probably find help quicker than if we were together or if he was left to his own devices. Our enemies wanted him alive, I was positive, but me?

They'll kill me if I give them the chance.

Not Sasuke though, not the son of the Uchiha Clan; he was born with armor, it was in his freaking genes. His value was far greater than mine.

Fear courses through me.

I'm not a hero.

In the end, I don't get to choose. Something slams into me, throwing my body against a nearby tree and pinning it there with a hand to my throat. It tightens and I claw at it, trying desperately to get air. My vision blurs as the man laughs, and I kick out hard, foot colliding with his stomach. He drops me instantly, arms hovering over his torso as he heaves.

I scramble backward, gulping in air. One look at the man tells me it's the missing ninja. I run off whiles he's distracted, but I don't get far before he pounces again. I find myself pinned to the ground on my back and a fist slams once, twice, three times into my face before ceasing. Unconsciousness threatens to take me, but I fight against it. The entire right side of my face throbs painfully, and I focus on that instead.

We aren't far enough to put Sasuke out of my sensing range, and I feel his chakra quivering. The noise might have woken him up, but he was rather far; it was odd that he could have heard it. I mentally beg him to move, to get up and go but things are a bit fuzzy and it takes me a moment to realize he was close, much too close. I'd be able to see him if the man moved out of the way.

What was he doing?

I get my answer in an unexpected way. The sound of wood hitting flesh echoes and the man yells out in pain. Then his face twists, he snarls and he's no longer a man, but a monster; it grabs Sasuke, throwing him sideways with ease. He hits a tree, sprawling beneath it like a broken rag doll, much too still. Desperation seizes me and I free a hand, digging my nails down its face. Pain bursts through my left shoulder and I scream.

"You little bitch." It growls, pressing a kunai to my temple. "I'm going to carve your face off!"

The air thickens as the kunai digs in, and the reality hits me that I'm going to die; a slow, horrific death full of pain. My body shakes, and my chakra spikes. I don't deserve to die, not like this, not yet.

I don't want to die.

 _I don't want to die._

Chakra bursts from within me, and the man screams, but those soon turn to gurgles. He slumps to the side, and I am fre _e_ _free free._ Blood pours down from my temple, and I blink slowly, focus on breathing. I turn onto my stomach and see a tiny figure at the base of a tree.

Sasuke.

I'd almost forgotten him. I struggle to drag my body towards him, using both arms until it becomes too painful, and then just the one. The process is slow going and it hurts, but I have to know if he's alive. I get close enough to see the rise and fall of his chest, reassuring enough to make me want to cry. The tears didn't come though, and I couldn't bring forward the necessary emotions. I was relieved, but more than that I was tired, and I struggled to stay conscious. I counted each breath Sasuke took, before losing count and starting all over. It continued like this for what felt like forever.

I blink slowly, and when my eyes open once more, a masked figure is standing over me. My eyes droop and the person bends down, shaking my shoulder gently. He tells me to not fall asleep, and though I see his mask clearly, it takes me some time to put words to it.

ANBU.

A smile graces my face.

I fall into the darkness.

* * *

A/N

And the plot begins!

Thoughts? Questions?

Please Review!


	6. Chapter 6

A/N

I am loving all the reviews.

Seriously I might start a scrap book.

I was really nervous with last chapter's fight scene. I felt like it should have been longer but realistically Nao is a child; she's lucky she even lived if you ask me.

Now, on to the story!

Disclaimer: Kishimoto owns all. Like 99%.

* * *

 _Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep._

So dark.

" _What are you doing, sensei? The council meeting is about to begin."_

"… _. She looks so small, in a hospital bed. Nao was always smaller than the other children her age, but… I never really noticed how much."_

" _I've observed her for a while now. She doesn't eat normal portions, and she rarely eats more than twice a day. I almost want to say the kid has an eating disorder, but is such a thing even possible? She's only six."_

" _I'm beginning to learn that Nao is full of surprises, age aside. Kind of reminds me of how you were at that age. What happened to my cute student? When did you grow up?"_

" _Don't start sensei. Tell me about the report, what happened to put her in such a state?"_

" _Ah. ANBU tracked them north, almost to the border of Iron. Uchiha Sasuke was found along with her, both in bad shape. There was also a body, one of the unknown ninja who attacked the village. ANBU sealed what was left of him, but I doubt we'll find any clues as to his origin. He was shredded."_

" _You're saying two little kids did that? Iron is supposed to be neutral, they probably intended to head into waterfall or Oto."_

" _You tell me Kakashi. I tasked you with watching over her, and according to Uchiha Sasuke she can already climb walls and ceilings. You never mentioned anything about Nao-chan having access to her chakra."_

" _My job was to protect her from potential threats, not spy on her. You were right when you said other countries would be interested in her. Iwa and Kumo spies had been eyeing her for a while now, and if I hadn't had to deal with them I could have protected her when the village went under attack."_

" _Well, what's done is done; you can't blame yourself for following orders. Nao bears an uncanny resemblance to the late Mito-sama; she's undeniably of the Uzumaki Clan, anyone with a brain can see that. Unfortunately, having Uzumaki blood puts a target on her back."_

" _Ah, and that's why Kushina has been so restless about her."_

" _She understands better than anyone, what it means to be an Uzumaki alone in the world. Nao-chan has a hard life ahead of her. I've stationed two ANBU to watch over her in the meantime, though hopefully she'll give in to Kushina's charm and allow us to take her in. With the village in such a precarious state, I really would've preferred to have all hands on deck."_

" _We'll make it work, sensei. We always do."_

" _I suppose so. Now, why don't you tell me what else you left out of your reports concerning Nao?"_

* * *

 _Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep._

Cognizance seeps into me at a sluggish rate. I'm floating again, but this isn't like before. My mind yearns for unconsciousness, that absolute void of nothing; it was safe there, and warm. I wait but it never comes, and instead I find myself falling into awareness. My eyes open, expecting to see a cave once more, or maybe even a cage.

Instead, a dark room greets me. As I turn my head a disorientating pull comes from my nose, and my hand reaches up, yanking the offending item off and examining it. An oxygen tube.

Yuck.

To my right a machine beeps away incessantly. I've never visited Konoha's hospital before, but considering I'm not tied up, I'd say it's abundantly clear I'm no longer under the custody of foreign ninja. Taking stock, I find that other than an IV in my arm, connected to suspicious looking fluids, the rest of me appears to be reasonably okay; all limbs intact and everything. Sitting up, I debate on whether to take out the IV but decide against it.

I was never good with needles anyway.

I struggle to my feet, using the IV pole for support. My whole body is sore, and screaming at me to get my butt back into bed, but curiosity wins. Going over to the window, I pull back the curtains and open it to see more darkness. The village is faintly outlined below but other than that it's far too dim to see much.

At least Konoha is still standing.

I turn and examine the rest of the room, which is bare, as most hospital rooms tended to be. Sitting on a table beside the bed is a vase of flowers. The note declares in from the Nara family, and a smile works its way onto my face. Next to it lays a small basket filled with treats and a handmade card, courtesy of Chouji. As I pick through the basket, I ponder on whether the boys had been told about my escapade out of the village. It would be better if they hadn't; Chouji was such a sweet gentle thing that I loathed seeing him upset.

Shika, on the other hand, was a worrier underneath the Nara laziness and if he found out I had been kidnapped it would make him far more troublesome. He was the Nara equivalent of a passive aggressive house wife; able to pick away at you with the occasional small subtle remarks until he got his way. Never too pushy, or fussy, just enough to make his point, and by now I found it was simply easier to not fight it. Shikamaru didn't make an effort if it wasn't important anyway, so the least I could do was humor him.

In the midst of scavenging I spy a chart hanging at the end of my bed and seize it inquisitively.

Subperiosteal hematoma to the spine, contusions to the neck and right side of the face, a puncture wound to the left shoulder, moderate concussion, and a laceration to the left temple. Along with chakra depletion, dehydration, and malnourishment. So basically a bruised bone, some more bruises, a boo-boo, a headache, and another boo-boo. Hah, and my mother said I'd never learn anything watching TV.

Thank you, Grey's Anatomy.

Oh well. Time to explore. I tiptoe out of bed, wheeling my drugs beside me as I exited the room. The hallway outside my door is creepily empty, and a part of me waits for ominous music to start playing and for someone to jump out at me; I was fifty percent sure I was in the beginnings of a slasher film, with the silent, seemingly deserted floor setting the mood.

It would be just my luck, too.

The sign to the right of my door states the number, and, below that my name. Someone appears to have misspelled it though, having accidentally added the surname Uzumaki to my unknown, orphaned status. Regrettably the sign is just out of my reach, leaving me unable to correct the mistake. I eye it once more in annoyance before setting down the abandoned corridor, reading the names listed at each room as I go. Only every other room has an occupant, a detail that leaves me wondering about the exact state of the village.

Surely, if only half the rooms are filled then the rate of casualties wasn't too horrific. Either that or the list of mortalities was high enough to leave so many beds open, and wouldn't that be unsettling? Konoha had come out of the last war more or less okay, with no major losses taking place afterward like, say, the release of the Nine tails. Population wise, we were going strong, so if our enemies had succeeded in creating mass fatalities than they were truly a force to be reckoned with.

And that did not bode well for us.

Or, more specifically, myself.

I didn't know who the enemy was, why they were doing what they did, or when they would next strike. My knowledge of the Naruto plot was all but useless now, it wouldn't be enough to save myself anymore. So then, where did that leave me? What insurance did I have for my survival without it? The occasional training in secret would no longer be enough, I didn't have the privilege to work at my own pace any more. Konoha would be on high alert for the months to come, heightening my risk of getting caught, but I didn't have a choice; I couldn't simply stop now.

My feet take me further into the hospital, and without seeing a single nurse or doctor, strangely enough. What, did everyone decide to take their breaks all at once? I feel supremely concerned for the well being of Konoha; none of the adults seem to take their job seriously. A name catches my attention, but I move on after examining it. I'm pretty sure I don't know a Miyamura Yumiko, even if it feels vaguely familiar. Two more doors down I find a name I do know.

Uchiha Sasuke.

Guilt swells in me momentarily; I had completely forgotten about him in all the hustle. He was alive though, so there was that; then again, I couldn't say what condition he was in.

I open the door and slip inside. His room was similar to my own, with the exception of the flowers. The room was practically brimming with them, and with no escape the floral smell hit me in waves. It was expected of course; Sasuke was an undoubtedly important person in his clan, even if it was only as the spare heir.

He was asleep of course. It was probably sometime around two in the morning, not that I could find a damn clock in this place. Machines were hooked up to him, though no IV, which I took as a good sign. He had a cast going up to his shoulder, which made me curious. At the end of his bed was a medical chart, and I snagged it before moving over to a chair by his side. So maybe I was a little nosy, sue me. Three cracked ribs, another one broken, internal bleeding, a fracture to the humerus, a contusion on his skull, and a minor concussion.

Oh look, a punctured lung.

Nothing too bad then, it could always be worse. He could be dead. I still couldn't remember how we got back or who had found us; I mean, obviously someone did or we wouldn't be here. Everything after Sasuke hit that tree is a blank, and that's worrying. I flip through the chart once more and something catches my eye.

Admitted 12/17, 3:28 AM.

The attack and our subsequent kidnapping had happened on the fourteenth. That meant when we woke up in that cave it had been over a day. There was no way we could have been out that long though; the blood I found wouldn't have been so fresh. Unless they kept beating the back of our heads every time we came close to consciousness. That would explain the pain.

A yawn escapes me, and I lay my head on my arms, leaning on the bed with closed eyes. We were back in the safety of the village, and mostly intact. I had no idea about the events of what had happened, and that was irritating. I'd have to find Shikaku tomorrow and see if I could get any information. Maybe he'll feel bad about me getting kidnapped and spill.

I wasn't confident he would though, so Shika and I would have to piece together what he doesn't tell us. That is, if he bothers to come visit me again; it might be too troublesome. And then I'll have to disembowel him for being a poor friend, which would be a waste of his genius.

I must have dozed off for a while, because when I open my eyes again the sun is beginning to rise. The walk back to my room is way too far, and I can't even remember the route, so instead I nudge Sasuke awake.

"Nao?" he mumbles, rubbing his eye.

"Scoot over." I say, and he obliges. The bed is big and we settle in, falling asleep within minutes. In the back of my mind I remember I left the window in my room open, but by then I'm too far gone to care.

* * *

"Imouto, wake up." Something pokes me. I grumble, turning away only to feel a stab of pain and yelp. I had moved onto my bad shoulder. Another poke comes and with a huff, I open my eyes, coming face to face with big blue orbs. It was Naruto, inches from me in the chair I had previously occupied.

"What are you doing here?" I ask, shuffling away to put some distance between us. What is it with people getting in my personal space?

"I'm visiting!" he says.

Oh, joy.

On my other side was Sasuke, awake and sporting a disgruntled expression. "You didn't tell me you were Naruto's sister." He tells me accusingly.

"Well," I replied. "We were a little busy running for our lives. Also, I have no relation to this person. He's delusional."

Both boys scrunch their faces cutely at the word delusional, and I sigh. This is why I don't have other friends.

Shikamaru's vocabulary is far beyond that of a six year old's, so I don't have to dumb my words down for him and Chouji picked up on these things quickly, having spent a fair amount of time with the two of us. I didn't mind explaining a word to him either, he was such a sweet, genuine person. That wasn't to say other children weren't also nice of course, but there was a stark difference between most kids and Chouji, who actually listened to what I had to say and willingly made an effort. Compared to those two I found everyone else to be more or less a waste of my time and energy.

"I'm saying that Naruto isn't anything to me." I remedy. Comprehension dawns on them before Naruto gets a hurt look on his face. It was the sad, kicked puppy kind; brows furrowed, downcast baby blue eyes, and a bottom lip on the verge of developing a quiver. Immediately I sense the situation going downhill for me, and as Naruto begins to sniffle I scramble to fix this mess. I pat his hair in a hopefully reassuring way, and say. "Er, there, there… Please don't cry."

"Nao-chan doesn't want to be family with me? Did I do something bad?" Damn him, I hate sad children.

"No, no, I do like you! But I'm not really made to be an imouto; if anything, I'd be the older sibling. That's not the point though! You and me just aren't family, you know? It can't be helped."

Naruto pauses, thinking my words over. "So, you wanna be my nee-chan? Then we can be family?"

"No, that's not what I-"

"Why didn't you just say so?" He beams, cutting me off. "This is better anyway, Sasuke has a nii-san and now I've got you! You'll be waayy better than his, too!"

"No way!" Sasuke sputters cutely. "My Aniki is the best in the whole world!"

A bold declaration.

The boys continue to fight as I lay back, wondering how I got myself into this setting. A headache forms and my body's soreness makes itself known. Just as I decide to leave before the situation becomes even more irksome, fate takes a cruel turn. A knock on the door interrupts us and a woman and a boy walk in, followed by a head of red hair I know well. The couple doesn't seem surprised to see Naruto or I; instead they inspect me, the strange little girl sharing Sasuke's bed. Kushina doesn't even pause at the door; she simply dances over to my side and crushes me against her, which hurts.

"I was so worried!" She cried. "When the battle had ended and no one could find you, oh, I was sure something bad had happened, dattebane! Minato had people digging through the wreckage, but I knew you wouldn't be there!"

Personal bubble, anyone?

"There, there." I monotoned, patting her back. Truthfully, I hadn't expected anyone to notice I was missing. The fact that she did was almost… pleasing. It wasn't too far off to assume I could have been caught in one of the collapsed buildings; Sasuke and I nearly had been, back when we were making for the mountain. There was something a bit odd, about the way she had worded it; as though she had been positive of my capture. Kushina has clearly taken my lack of struggle as a good sign, as she hadn't removed herself from me yet. My shoulder began to throb painfully at her grip.

"You're hurting me, Kushina."

"Oh! Sorry." She squeaks, letting go. Mirthful laughter rang through the room, and I remembered the other two people. They both wore the Uchiha clan symbol, so it wasn't too far of a stretch to assume this was Sasuke's family. The woman grinned at Kushina.

"It's just like you to forget someone's injured." She said before turning to me. "You must be Nao-chan. I'm Sasuke's mother, and this is his older brother, Itachi."

"Hello." I greet them.

You would think meeting the man responsible for massacring his entire clan would be scary. I expected to be a little nervous or something, but the person in front of me was nothing more than a preteen. Granted, he had six years over my own, but really he was just another brat; an exceptionally talented brat. Meeting the Uchiha Matriarch was equally enlightening. I had already met three clan heads, and the novelty had sort of worn off. I don't know what I was expecting, but it certainly wasn't what I got.

Mother and son both bowing a full ninety degrees.

"Thank you, for saving my son. The Uchiha clan will not forget this." She promised.

I nearly choked, stunned.

"I didn't really do anything." I said, blushing. I mean sure, I saved him from drowning, but the whole kidnapping fiasco was different. We'd simply been trying to survive, and at the end I had seriously considered abandoning Sasuke. Of course ultimately the choice had been taken from me, but if it hadn't I probably would have gone through with it. After all, it had been a choice I could have lived with, because it wasn't as though I was leaving him to die; they wanted him very much alive. Still though, I'd of done it so receiving any kind of thanks from his family seemed really wrong.

"Still, please accept our thanks." Mikoto replied.

I nodded for lack of anything better to say. The entire conversation was making me uncomfortable, and some part of me felt vaguely wary; though for the life of me I couldn't figure out why. Something else lingered, in the weight of their words, and in Mikoto's gaze. A troublesome issue was forming, staring me straight in the face and for the life of me I did not know what it was. Instinct told me to get out of here, and I firmly agreed with it.

"I think I'll go back to my room now." I murmured, forcing a yawn. "My bed is calling. It was nice to meet you Uchiha-san." I stood, bowing slightly. Walking over to the door, I opened it, pausing.

"Thanks for visiting, Kushina." I said quickly, closing the door without waiting for a response. One had to be careful with people like that; can't encourage them too much. Laughter echoed from the room as I retreated down the hallway. I only get about halfway down before another set of steps fall in along mine. Uchiha Itachi walks on my right, looking forward expressionlessly.

I wait for him to speak of whatever is obviously on his mind, but to my irritation he says nothing. When we reach my room I lead us straight past in an attempt to give the boy more time, and we walk for several more minutes before my patience wears thin. There were more important things I needed to think about; I did not have the energy to play mind games with an Uchiha brat.

"Is there something you need Uchiha-san? Or is it a habit of yours to stalk young girls around silently?" I ask.

To his credit Itachi doesn't bat an eye at my sass.

"Sasuke does not have very many friends. As his older brother I like to be informed and he always tells me of the ones he does have; yet he has never mentioned you." He says.

"We met on the day of the attack." I tell him. "It was… a chance meeting, and when the alarms sounded we just sort of stuck together."

"What do you mean a chance meeting?" He asks suspiciously.

"Er… maybe you should ask Sasuke himself. I'm not exactly sure as to what he thought he was doing at the time."

"Nevertheless, I'm asking you."

"And I'm choosing to not answer, Uchiha-san." You would think he'd be grateful I went out of my way to help his brother.

"I see."

At this point we had reached my room yet again, but I didn't go in for fear he'd follow me. All I wanted at the moment was peace and quiet, so I could figure out what was off about the events that had taken place in Sasuke's room. It was like an itch at the back of my mind; refusing to be forgotten or ignored.

Itachi did not look happy at my response and we stood at my door for a moment, neither of us moving. It was clear he was protective of his little brother, and I respected that, but there was nothing else I could say that wouldn't make him less suspicious of me; even if I hadn't given him any reason to be.

Maybe I simply needed to make myself clear.

"Have a pleasant day, Uchiha-san." I chirped, opening the door and shutting it in his face; hopefully the kid could take a hint. As his footsteps receded, I sprawled out on my bed, going over everything.

There hadn't been any reason for the Uchihas' to thank me; it had been pure luck that we had managed to get away in the first place. It was odd to be sharing a bed with Sasuke in front of his mom, but honestly, I was six. Hardly scandalous behavior if anyone asked me. How was Mikoto even sure I had done anything helpful? The only way she would know was if Sasuke told her.

Unease washed through me.

He had seen me use chakra. If he did say anything to his mother, then she would know about it. And if she knew, then who else did? Sasuke might have been questioned upon our return. At the time, I hadn't been thinking about how this could expose me, but now maybe I had made a mistake. If the Hokage knew, the elder council might know too.

The last person I want interested in me is Shimura Danzo.

Did this make me a target? If some foreign shinobi were interested enough to kidnap me, then I was definitely on Danzo's radar. Even if no one else knows about the cave part in detail, the simple story of escaping my captors with Uchiha Sasuke alone would be enough to make any rational person curious. If Root came for me I would be helpless to stop them.

Then again, would Minato, upon becoming Hokage, allow Danzo's force within ANBU to continue? He was not the third, who let his old teammate get away with such things out of nostalgia or whatever. ANBU are supposed to be strictly loyal to the Hokage, and I really can't imagine Minato being cool with Root, which he would not have control over.

So, either he was under the impression that Root has been disbanded (unlikely), or he never found out about it in the first place (also unlikely). Hell, maybe Danzo doesn't even exist here and that's the reason for all the change. I could just be severely paranoid. In the end there was nothing I could currently do about it; best to not worry about things out of my control.

As I snuggle into my sheets a shadow falls over my form. I tense and turn, expecting to see creepy men in masks coming for me. To be fair, that's pretty much what I find; just in a different context. Kakashi sat perched on the open window frame, legs dangling over the inside. The sun illuminated half his face, setting the rest of it in shadows.

"You should really lock these things." He chastises me. "A murderer or pervert could get in and then where would you be?"

I roll my eyes, snorting. "As if a lock could keep you out."

I don't specify which one he is, both probably. Why did our conversations always end up here? What kind of adult thinks it appropriate to talk to a little girl about killing? He glares at me but says nothing.

"So, what brings you here then?" I wonder aloud. Instead of responding, Kakashi tosses something at me; I barely catch it before it falls to the bed. The package was square, small, wrapped in brown paper and light. Curiosity warred with suspicion and I examined it for a long moment before unwrapping it. Inside was a plain black box, which opened to reveal a necklace.

The chain was silver, with a thin rectangular pendant of the same color. Engraved on it was the kanji for death. I held it for a second, turning it over in my hand, before looking to my companion questioningly. He sighed.

"Pull on the pendant."

I did so, startling when the pendant split to reveal a small blade, no more than two inches long. What the hell was he thinking? Giving a weapon to a six year old? The blade was tinted a strange light purple and I moved to run my thumb along its surface. Kakashi grabbed my hand before it made contact.

"Don't touch it." He said. "The blade's poisonous."

Poisonous?!

I squeaked, dropping it. He caught the offending object of course, clicking it back into place and chuckling in amusement. He put the long chain over my head, letting it settle against my chest before sitting in the chair beside me.

"You are a sick, sick man. I'm only six you know; I could hurt myself with this thing."

"You're not a normal child. You'll be fine."

Ouch.

"Way to hit me where it hurts." I mutter, eyeing my gift contemplatively. "What am I supposed to do with this anyway?"

"Next time someone tries to kidnap you, cut them. The poison will kill them within minutes. You can't always rely on people to protect you." Something about the way he said it sounded almost… guilty? It was odd, because I hadn't even seen Kakashi for weeks.

"Cheer up, Bakashi." I chime. "My poor luck hardly had anything to do with you, it really was just unfortunate timing."

He twitches at my nickname, but otherwise shrugs. The apologetic looks he shoots me, like it was indeed his fault, makes me feel troubled. It reminded me of a different Kakashi; one who had lost everything. I make an effort to change the subject.

"So what happened then, with the village? Do we know the name of our attackers?"

"Ah. None of the ninja had any symbol stating their allegiance. The ones we captured all managed to commit suicide, a poison cap in their teeth, so there was no way to get information. We think they were just testing the waters, trying to see how our defense works. Security measures have been taken incase another attack is launched."

A test run then? What advantages could be gained from such a thing? Sure, they'd be able to see Konoha's protocol for invasions, get a taste of our defenses, but in the end it would only serve to raise our guard. Any attack after that Konoha would be prepared for, and the enemy will have lost the element of surprise; all that effort for nothing.

No, those people were after something else; the question was what?

"Do you think we will?" I muse. "Be attacked again?"

He pauses, eyeing me speculatively. An ordinary child would be looking for reassurance, whether it was true or false. Kakashi knew I was different though; that I'd want a straight answer.

"Yes." He stated. "It's only a matter of time."

I sighed, nodding in agreement. No one would go to such lengths only to call it quits right after. Konoha was no longer safe, and I didn't know how to feel about that. My goal had always been to get out before any of this crap happened, to disappear into the Elemental nations and live a full, safe life. That idea had been thoroughly crushed with this new development.

I wasn't ready or strong enough to leave right now. There was a target painted on my back now, and despite the precarious position of Konoha it was still safer here than out there. My best bet is to stay and hope against hope I'll be so lucky as to survive the next round.

"Nao," Kakashi says. "There's something else. Several buildings were purposely targeted; not everyone made it out alive."

"Yea I know, I had a front row seat to one of the explosions." It hadn't been a pretty sight.

"No, you don't understand." He pauses." One of the places hit, it was the orphanage."

What?

"I'm sorry, Nao. It's gone."

* * *

Thirty-two children, twelve caretakers, and a visiting couple died in the explosion at the orphanage. Four of those children were babies. The sole survivor was the matron, whose name I finally learned to be Miyamura Yumiko.

She was an older woman, and the hospital bed only enhanced that. As I sat by her side Kakashi explained to me how she had been outside, trying to gather the children when the bomb went off. They had dug her from the debris and rushed her to the hospital as soon as she had been found, but by then it had been too late.

She was brain dead, breathing only by way of the machines attached to her. It was probably for the best, given the multiple third degree burns on her body and her broken legs. At the very least, she wasn't suffering. Minato, upon hearing of the Matron's status, had instructed the hospital staff to wait before pulling the plug in order to give me time to say goodbye.

I didn't deserve it.

Honestly, how many times had I written her off as useless, unsuitable? I had lived there for over two years and I couldn't even remember her damn name, so what right did I have to say goodbye? Yumiko had no other family though, no one else that cared if she was in the hospital. How tragic was that? So I came, sat with her. I stole one of the flowers from my own vase, a pretty white one, and entwined it between her hands.

She had been laying here, unable to pass on, because of me.

What a terrible fate.

I cared now, when it matter least. Neither her nor those children at the orphanage had anyone to mourn for them, and though I hadn't particularly liked any of them, I was all they had, so I mourned. They had been pointlessly slaughtered, and that was the worst part of it all. No one had been devastated by it, because orphans didn't have anyone that cared. Targeting a school made sense, those children had families that loved and cherished them, and their deaths would have made waves.

But this?

It had been a senseless killing, and it made me sick.

As I stared at Yumiko's face, my anger grew; she didn't need to suffer anymore.

"Pull the plug." I told the nurse standing by, startling her out of her thoughts. Her gaze held pity as she looked at me, which only served to piss me off. I walked behind the bed and began yanking cords from their plugs. Kakashi was on me in a second, pulling me away and trying to plug everything back in. I kicked at him. "Let her find some damn peace already!"

"That's enough." Kakashi says, grabbing my hands in his as nurses swarm around us and fuss around the bed. He drags me from the room, down the hall to my own before closing the door behind us. I make a feeble attempt to pull away but Kakashi is having none of it. My eyes are on our feet, and he takes one hand away to grab my chin, directing my gaze to his. "Nao, you can't do that sort of thing, even if your upset."

"Well, someone had to do it didn't they?" I take a shuddering breath, but no tears come. Part of me wishes they would, that I could cry and get it over with because the alternative was something I didn't want to face. I had no tears to shed though, my insides had gone cold and hard.

"That's what the doctors are for, not you. There are protocols, procedures to be followed! It is not your burden to bear, and you could get in serious trouble for that."

"Spare me the lecture." I snapped, voice rising. "I was doing her a favor. Leaving her like that? Unable to just die and move on? It's inhumane."

Silence reigns in the room, and I break free, taking a step back. Kakashi doesn't stop me, so I walk out the door, letting it fall shut behind me. I move through the hallway, wandering until I come upon an open emergency exit. There was a maintenance cart holding it ajar, but no one in sight. I step out into the sun, down the stairs and onto the street. Once there I keep going, walking along the side of the village in my hospital gown. Already I know where my feet will take me, and I let them, mind curiously blank.

Twenty minutes later I stood before the ruins of what once had been the orphanage. Clean up had already begun around the village, meaning someone had passed through and collected any remains to be found. They hadn't bothered with the blood stains though, not yet; there were other, more important and public places around the village that would take priority. The orphanage was out of the way, so it'd be a couple of days before anyone got around to it.

Debris made the place hazardous though, and the property had been taped off to prevent anyone from getting injured. I kept to the outside of the perimeter, trying to make sense of the ruins. The playground on the side of the property was a misshapen nightmare, warped and bent with debris from the building scattered around it. The building itself was no longer standing, but rather having collapsed or fallen in one general direction, the building seemed to have exploded outwards in every direction. It was scattered through most of the property, leaving nothing untouched.

Meaning the bomb had indeed been inside, with the children.

I felt numb.

I should have died that day, with everyone else. If I had slept in half an hour later I would have. Instead, I was alive while all those innocent children were dead. How was that okay? I had already lived my life, had even been given a second; these kids hadn't even had the chance to really experience their first one. Where was their justice?

Disgust welled within me.

This had been done by shinobi. They had murdered children, babies, and for what? Because someone had ordered them to? What did anyone get out of this, what had been achieved? Violence and hate to breed more violence and hate; in the end that's all this was. This world tried so god damn hard to justify the shinobi lifestyle, how it was _necessary_ , _them or us_. Protectors of villages; working for the greater good, watching over our future. But this right here, these ruins of a children's home, told a very different story.

It was the work of shinobi, done mindlessly on orders no one bothered to question.

To them, it was just part of the greater good.

"Nao-chan? What are you doing? You're bleeding!" A hand grabs mine, and I looked up into the worried face of Inoichi. He gaze is toward the ground, and I follow it, catching sight of my feet. I didn't have shoes, and they must have begun to bleed from the street since it hadn't been tended to yet.

Funny, I hadn't felt it.

"What are you doing here, Inoichi-san?"

He flinches at my words, takes in my blank expression. "Why don't we get you back to the hospital, okay?"

"No thank you." I reply, letting my hand fall from his. "I'm fine here. You should go."

He says nothing, and I sit down, arms hugging knees. My eyes roam over my old home, taking everything in. Distantly, I hear Inoichi's receding footsteps. My mind is focused on the scorched pieces in the wreckage. The other children couldn't have all died instantly; like the Matron, some of them would have been in unbelievable pain, wonder why this was happening, desperate to be saved.

In the silence, it's as though I can almost hear it; their screams of pain, pleading for help, for mercy, for anything. Ironic, that despite being mere civilians, having no say in any village affairs, they still became targets to foreign shinobi. Truly, no matter how I tried to rationalize it, there didn't seem to be a good enough reason to go after some orphans.

Maybe there was never a reason to begin with.

Two sets of legs blocked my view. One crouched down, revealing it to be Shikaku. Inoichi must have gotten him. I wish he hadn't, seeing as the Nara looked exhausted; he was probably up to his ponytail in paperwork.

"Hello Shikaku." I say dully.

The concern in his eyes is evident, even as he tries to hide it. A pointless effort; I am fluent in reading Naras.

"Hey there, Nao-chan." He responds with a sigh.

"You look tired."

He hums in agreement. "So do you."

I shrug in reply. I didn't feel tired; I didn't feel much of anything at the moment. He shuffled next to me, sitting down and unblocking my view. Inoichi had disappeared. We looked at the wreckage for a moment.

"What are you thinking about?" Shikaku asks.

"I'm wondering if I can convince the Hokage to give me an apartment. Our casualties were minimal, and since I'm officially the only orphan in Konoha, I figure there's no need to build a new orphanage yet."

"Actually, a couple kids were orphaned, and as soon as we rebuild we'll be bringing in more children."

"That seems cruel, don't you think?" I retort flatly. "They'll probably die if we're attacked again. Sounds like a death sentence to me. "

He says nothing to that, probably because it's true. It occurs to me that I'm starting to freak him out but I can't bring myself to care, so I continue.

"I bet I'll be able to get one. An apartment that is; I certainly don't want to get adopted. Besides, Minato probably feels bad about me getting kidnapped and having my home destroyed."

Kakashi had explained how, when they only found thirty two children, Minato had suspected that would be the case. When potential parents came all the orphans were supposed to stay on the property, even though I never did. Minato knew I spend barely any time at the orphanage, so the possibility of me being there when the bomb went off was beyond minimal. It almost warmed my heart, how well he knew me.

Shikaku made a strained sound. "Right."

"All my stuff is gone." I say, picking at the hospital gown. "Otherwise I would have changed."

What he was about to say, I'll never know. At that moment an ANBU in full uniform appeared to my left.

"Uzumaki Nao." It said. "You do not have clearance to leave the hospital. I have orders to return you safely."

A hand reached for me, and I bared my teeth, snapping at it. The hand retreated, and I snarled in warning. Right now, I had problems with ninja. Shikaku was one, but I never saw him as such. ANBU were a completely different matter. They were everything I hated. Mindless murderers, just like the ones responsible for the disaster zone in front of me.

" _Don't. Touch. Me._ " I hissed, getting up.

The ANBU didn't try again as I waved farewell to Shikaku and headed back toward the hospital. A lot of people stared, confused and/or horrified. A side effect of the blood most likely; or the creepy ANBU shadowing me. I ignored it, walking sedately through the main street. At the Hokage tower I turned right, making it to the hospital doors two buildings down.

A nurse thanked the ANBU for returning me before dragging me back to my room. She tended to my feet, muttering incoherently before finishing and scurrying off to her next task. My window was closed, the curtains drawn tight. I stared at the dark ceiling for hours, hoping for sleep to take me. The sun set and it never came.

Instead my mind went over the information I knew, analyzing. Konoha had been attacked, twelve buildings bombed. None of the places hit were directly connected to shinobi. The invading ninja were estimated to be around one hundred and sixty. Ten were captured, committing suicide; thirty nine killed. The attack lasted an hour total. Less than seventy civilian casualties, and nineteen shinobi casualties.

Eventually my mind slows, and weariness wins over. I drift off, welcoming unconsciousness gladly. I know somethings wrong with me, and I don't want to deal with it quite yet.

Sleep takes me.

I still feel numb.

* * *

A/N

Once again, a chapter has speedily gone from light to dark. About Nao, personally I'm of the opinion that everyone has issues. Just because you're reincarnated doesn't mean they go away. So to those of you asking, yes, Nao has an eating disorder, and that's something we'll delve into in later chapters.

For the first time she is calling the orphanage "home". I know many of you will think her feelings about what happened are out of the blue. As a person, Nao is vulnerable to certain things just like any of us are. She knew the orphanage and it's occupants best, so I don't think it would be too strange for its destruction to affect her; death affects us all. In a sense, her eyes are being opened to the cruelty of the world in a way she never truly understood until now.

Thoughts? Questions?

Please Review!


	7. Chapter 7

A/N

Thank you everyone for reviewing

It's always interesting to hear your thoughts on everything.

Word to the wise, reviews really _do_ make the fanfiction world go 'round.

Disclaimer: I own Nao, and that's it.

* * *

About a week later a mass funeral was held for those who died in the orphanage.

I didn't go.

My time was spent hiding away in my hospital room, mostly because I'd been banned from leaving the floor. Someone had decided it was a good idea to station ANBU outside my door after my little escapade, which was a bit extreme if you asked me. Having them follow me around my limited section of the hospital was equally irritating and unsettling; so I stayed, alternating between staring at the walls and terrorizing the staff.

I had come up with a game in my boredom, one I liked to call breaking point. The idea was to see how far I could push the hospital staff before they had complete nervous break downs and/or went ballistic. The trick was to do little things, letting them pile up over time.

My greatest achievement happened eight days in, when I ripped up some extra sheets I found in one of the cabinets and tied them together to make an escape rope. After throwing one end out the window and tying the other to the railing of the bed, I unhooked the dripper from the IV in my arm and tossed the pole –liquid bag and all- out the window. It hit the ground with a crash as I scurried behind the door and waited for my next victim.

By then the staff already knew me to be a menace, having raided other rooms for pillow fort supplies, nicked keycards to further my access of the floor, instigated a minor strike amongst the other children for more jello, and, on one memorable occasion, broke into an office to take a peek at my patient file. The only thing better than the reactions of the hospital staff was that of my ANBU companions. Apparently, they had been given very specific orders, because the only time they ever interfered was when I tried to leave my floor.

And I could tell it was starting to grate on them, because I was sort of getting away with it.

Was I reprimanded? All the freaking time.

Did I receive punishment? Definitely.

I was a six year old girl though, with literally nothing to my name, having just survived a traumatic experience involving my kidnap. My crimes came with no ill intentions, just the undeniable need to cause chaos, so not only were my punishments rather lax, they were age appropriate as well. No dessert with my dinners, visitation time with people I actually wanted to see (Chouji, Shika) cut, subjected to hours of confinement in the "play room" with other children (no longer a viable option after said jello riot), that sort of thing.

Apparently breaking and entering was a bit too much for the ANBU to handle, because they tattled on me to Kakashi, who in turn handcuffed me to my bed for an entire day. I learned an important lesson that day, and it was that ANBU were not only deadly assassins, but whiny brats as well.

But I digress.

The plan had been glorious, and it had worked better than I'd imagined it would. The nurse, having been alerted by the racket, had sprung into the room with clear suspicion. She hadn't even bothered to look out the window, where the IV stand would undoubtedly be; in fact, she took one look at the sheet rope and bursted into tears, stomping away. That had been a couple days ago, and I hadn't seen her since then.

Breaking point, while fun, wasn't something I could do all day long. I had other responsibilities to deal with, and one of those was Lou.

I'd been seeing Lou every day for little over a week now, and I learned many things about him during our daily sessions; that he was a minor member of the Yamanaka Clan, primarily a grief counselor here to help me through a difficult time, while also under a secret mission to evaluate my psychological state. His name was something along the lines of Fuji, or Fumi, but I liked to call him Lou.

See, Lou was someone I very much disliked, not because I suspected his intentions to be less than pure, but because the day we started meeting was the last time I'd had any contact from my friends. Since then, I'd seen neither hide nor hair of my boys and even if the timing hadn't been so freaking coincidental, the mere fact that I hadn't received a letter or literally anything to potentially explain their extended absence was outright suspicious.

It was clearly an unwilling separation, and I absolutely blamed Lou.

That was why I took time out of my busy day to truly show him how much I appreciated it. Using things I had acquired from the hospital staff I bought off other patients, digging for whatever information about him I could get my hands on. When a session with Lou turned ugly and he tried to pry where he wasn't welcome, I'd flip the conversation on him, making mention of a family member or close friend. I slowly learned of his sensitive spots, and how to navigate around them.

What I was doing would probably come back to bite me in the ass, but I couldn't bring myself to stop. It was therapeutic to me, in the same way the Breaking Point was; it kept my focus and relieved my stress at being trapped on this god forsaken floor. So I looked forward to his arrival, and the opportunity to poke and prod at his psyche. At noon, I sat patiently in anticipation. When the clock hit 12:15 and he still wasn't here, I became miffed.

Lou had never been late before.

Another ten minutes passed before there was a knock on the door and someone entered. To my disappointment, it was the Hokage himself, in all his glory. As he greeted me I found myself sincerely hoping he wasn't here to take over Lou's sessions; after all, Minato always seemed to have more free time for me than he really had any right to, so it was a possibility.

"My apologies, Minato. My schedule is currently full at the moment so I don't have time to chat." I motioned to the door. "However, if you speak with my secretaries just outside the door, I'm sure they can find a time to pen you in for."

"Ah, really?" He sighed, shaking his head in a melodramatic fashion. "That's a shame, Nao-chan, because I was going to have you discharged today after our chat. You're clearly too busy though, so I'll come back in a couple days then."

There was the faintest hint of a smile on his face as Minato turned and made his way to the door. I was half tempted to let him walk out, if only to give myself the satisfaction of not giving in. In the end, the promise of freedom was too much, and I was forced to call out. "Oh, look! I appear to have an opening for this very hour. What are the odds?"

"I'm honored." He said, tone that of amusement.

"You should be." I retorted, patting the edge of my bed for him to sit. The light banter between us does nothing to ease my growing anxiety; any conversation he wanted to have was beyond a shadow of a doubt one that I did not want to be part of. There would be no escaping it, I knew, so I waited for Minato to settle before simply cutting to the chase. "So then, what regrettable topic have you brought to me on this fine day?"

"Well," He looked apprehensive, how curious. "To start with, I was hoping you could tell me about what you saw during the attack, and the events that followed."

"Sure." I shrugged. It wasn't a particularly sensitive subject, though I was loath to explain how I used chakra. He probably already knew about it though, so I might as well get it over with. I relayed the details of what I remembered, pausing at times to gather my thoughts; it was hard to explain my reasoning for certain things. He never interrupted me, just listened with an understanding expression. I said nothing of my near abandonment of Sasuke, as I had a feeling that would not go over well.

Internally, I was almost remorseful for having thought it, especially mere moments later when I described how Sasuke had tried to come to my rescue rather than leave me behind. Itty bitty Uchiha Sasuke contained more courage and loyalty than someone like me, who'd lived three times longer and had far more life experience; I was an adult and I had nearly abandoned a little kid.

"So, what happened?" I questioned, shoving away that train of thought. "I can't really remember anything after Sasuke was hurt. How did we get rescued?"

Surprise flashed across Minato's face briefly. Was it that strange to ask for details? He smiled gently. "Well, a search team found the two of you. They fought off the shinobi but he escaped. Your safety took priority over pursuing the enemy, so the team returned and the two of you were admitted here."

It made sense, all things considering. I had probably been bleeding all over the place at the time so I wouldn't blame them for being more concerned about my well being. It was a shame the guy got away though; he deserved to rot in T&I. Minato's voice cut through my darkening thoughts.

"Nao-chan, do you understand why it was you were taken?"

"Oh, you mean because of my unfortunate resemblance to Kushina?" Yeah, I had figured that out real quick.

"Er… yes and no. Your likeness is to not only my wife but the Uzumaki clan in general, and because of that there are people that will take an interest in you. I'm unsure whether you know this, but a couple decades back the Uzumaki Clan had been much larger, and formidable. There are very few left now though, so you can see why you're so important."

"How certain are you that I'm even related to that clan?" I asked.

"Ninety-nine percent certain." He told me.

"If you say so." I eyed him skeptically. He hadn't explained why he was so sure, and I didn't bother asking; I wasn't going to get an answer and part of me really didn't want to know anyway. "Was there a point you were trying to make or…?"

"Yes, I'm getting to it." The air around us turned serious as Minato straightened. "At this point in time, reconstruction has just begun; the orphanage won't be ready to take children for about another month, and frankly, I don't think it would be safe for you there."

"I agree." It would be suicidal to go back there.

"That's… good." He seems faintly surprised at my response, but doesn't question it, which is nice. "I was hoping you would reconsider your stance on coming to live with my family; the offer still stands, and you would be better protected there."

"Yes, I could do that." I paused. "Or, you could just give me my own cozy little apartment and call it a day."

"Nao, you're six. I can't let you live on your own, that would be grossly incompetent of me."

"Why not? I'm house trained."

"That's not the point." He sighs exasperatedly. "Nao-chan, the Namikaze residence is one of the most secure places in the village; there's nowhere you'd be safer, and we would love to have you. If you decide against it I'll respect that, but you also can't live by yourself, not until you're far older."

I didn't respond right away, considering my options. Minato said he wouldn't give me an apartment, and I was fully inclined to believe him. If I ultimately chose to return to the orphanage (which I wouldn't), I had a feeling he wouldn't prevent me from doing so. The only real stipulation he'd given me was that I needed a guardian until I came of age. Could I handle living under someone else's roof and living by their rules? Even if I could, would that then be a betrayal to the family I'd once had?

People couldn't be replaced like light bulbs.

Sharing a house with other people didn't make them your family though; there was nothing to betray, in the end, because I was no longer a part of that world. I was here, with a target painted on my back and I didn't want to drive myself insane by having to constantly look over my shoulder, suspicious of attack; I had to do what was best for me. There was no favorable outcome to be seen; sooner or later I would be exposed, and tossed into the academy willingly or otherwise. I couldn't just stop training, not now when my future was at risk. I needed to turn this to my advantage while I had the chance, while I still had something to bargain with.

The question was, how much did the Namikazes want me?

"At the orphanage, the Matron had been big on things like independence." I pause briefly to see if Minato understands where I'm going with this. Fortunately, he's quick on the uptake and there's a knowing glint in his eyes as I continue. "I had freedom to come and go as I pleased, so long as I didn't cause any trouble. I'm a capable girl, so I don't need anyone hovering over me every second of the day; I really, really enjoy having some personal space."

"That's fair." He replies.

"I won't be manhandled by any Namikazes again, got it?"

"Of course."

"And my decisions are my own, so don't think you can go making any for me."

"As you wish."

This is going to be a nightmare.

"Alright then," I sigh. "let's get this over with."

* * *

Minato left me with a change of clothes while he pranced off to finish the discharge papers. They were clearly Naruto's and a size too big for me, but seeing as the few belongings I had owned no longer existed, I wasn't in a position to complain. The shirt, a blinding orange, sported the Uzumaki crest on the back, and something told me this was Minato's passive aggressive way of telling me I might as well own it.

I was a target either way.

I put on the clothes, mourning the loss of my ribbons; I was only half as cute without them. I left the room, feeling the foreign swish of my hair as it flowed freely behind me and down the length of my back. People moved out of my way quickly as I strolled down the hall; from my own reputation or due to my newly acquired shadows, I didn't know.

It seemed a bit like overkill, having two ANBU publically following my little self. I ignored them, making note to give them as much trouble as humanly possible. I hadn't forgotten about their snitching, and I liked to think that Lou would want me to find a healthy outlet rather than hold a grudge. It was also entirely possible that I harbored some resentment in the wake of the invasion.

I was dealing with it.

I spot a head of blonde hair at the front desk and move towards it, Minato just finishing up as I arrive. The attending nurse has a star struck expression; she blushes and stutters stupidly. I give her a sweet smile when our gazes meet and in return she eyes me warily, which is fair enough all things considered. Minato, oblivious to our exchange, thanks the woman kindly and herds me out the front door.

The sun warms my skin, and I take a moment to revel in it as Minato dismisses the ANBU. Then he nudges me and we're moving, down the street toward the heart of Konoha. I distinctly recall his house being in the opposite direction, but, figuring he has something to do first, I don't ask. It's the middle of the day and the streets are lively, so when the staring begins I pay no heed to it; simply holding my head high and letting my companion lead the way. People begin to bow and scurry out of the way, alarming me until I remember Minato's Hokage status.

This only intensified the looks sent my way.

My relief when we reach our destination, away from the public eye, lasts about two seconds before I process the shop. While the workers fawned over us I sent Minato a questioning look. He was choosing now of all times to correct his fashion sense? Apparently the man is a mind reader, because without preamble he says. "Don't look at me like that, Nao-chan. We're here for _you_ , not me. Just pick out whatever you like, okay?"

Be that as it may, we were in a children's store that clearly catered to shinobi. I could feel the subtle hint, and as much as it annoyed me, I would benefit from sturdy clothes. Easier to train in, with the added bonus of comfort. Though it was vaguely disturbing to know these types of shops had clothing in my size. I wondered if I could make a dent in Minato's wallet here?

I wandered through, denying help from any of the assistants. I carefully picked out outfits that enhanced my deceivingly innocent disposition and had no business being in a shinobi store. Mostly pastel dresses, with a couple of black shorts to go underneath. I added some plain white shirts to the growing pile, along with some pajamas before asking about their accessories. On the back wall were a multitude of accessories turned weapons, but I opted out of those, choosing a bundle of colorful ribbons instead.

I didn't get those open toed shoes that seemed to be popular here either. Just some basic white tennis shoes similar to the ones I had before. As the cashier rang everything up, Minato looked sullenly at the rising price. It was his fault really, for giving me free reign. He paid without a single complaint, picking up the bags and cheerfully wishing stores occupants a pleasant day. I dug out a set of ribbons and tied my hair in their customary pigtails.

We left, and I started feeling awkward. Letting others buy me stuff always bothered me. I had always struggled with money, and my distaste for not being able to provide for myself had carried on into this life. I didn't like handouts, but what was even worse was when someone did it selflessly, not expecting anything in return. It was difficult for me to show when I was grateful to someone, I always had trouble getting the damn words out.

Minato had just spent a ridiculous amount of money on me, and I mean _ridiculous_ amount. I didn't need twenty outfits, and I had vindictively chose things unsuited for ninja; things that shouldn't have even been in that store and He hadn't bat an eye, just let me do as I pleased and paid compliantly.

If there was one thing I was absolutely positive of, it was that Minato's kindness had been completely underrated. As we walked I kept a closer eye on him, watching as he greeted several people along the way. At one point he stopped at a food stand and chatted with the owner, asking about his family and how his business was going.

If it were anyone else I'd say it's such a political move; getting the people to like you by empathizing with them. Except observing him, you could tell that Minato truly cared. He listened with total attention, as if he was personally invested in the happiness of this one man. It was quite a mesmerizing sight, and I couldn't help but think he made a great Hokage. For the first time in my short life here, I felt hope. If anyone could if fix the mistakes of the previous Hokage, it was him. With Minato alive and kicking, Konoha's future looked bright.

I shoved the idea away.

It was an irrelevant thought, because I wouldn't be sticking around; whether Konoha sank or swam had nothing to do with me. As we continued on I took some of the bags, giving Minato the evil eye when he began to protest. He huffed a laugh and shook his head in exasperation, but allowed me to carry my share. I knew I would have to thank him soon, before we got to the manor; an audience would only make it harder. I breathed deeply, preparing myself. I could feel a blush rising to my cheeks.

" _Thank you for buying my clothes and spending so much money on me."_ I spat out quickly, looking down to hide my blush. " _I appreciate it._ "

A hand lands on my head. Minato hums a "no problem" and his hand down to my shoulders, guiding me. I let it stay, happy for the moment to be over. Somehow, I get the feeling I did something right. A strange fluttery feeling overwhelms me, and I do my best to ignore it. The gate was open as we made our way up to the front door.

In the back of my mind I contemplate on whether I was supposed to be nervous or something. In reality, I'm already tired from the thought of spending years in close proximity to Kushina or Naruto. Energetic is exactly the word I would _never_ use to describe myself. It will be a miracle if I don't go insane by bed time.

Minato opens the door, waving me in first. I get about three steps before a cacophony of voices scream "SURPRISE!" making me jump a foot in the air. Hanging across the balcony over the foyer was a banner that read 'Welcome Home'. Below it the Namikazes stood, along with Minato's team and two maids.

Seriously?

What would they have done if I had said no?

I barely restrain myself from grabbing my pendant of death as Kushina lurches forward, a cake in her hands.

"Blow the candles out! Hurry!" She says, shoving it close to my face.

I blow and take a step back, unable to remember why I'd thought this to be a good idea and musing whether it was too late to make an escape. Minato, mind reader extraordinaire, takes a firm grasp of my shoulder to keep me in place. Everyone claps and the cake is set down to be cut. Naruto bounces over and tugs at my hand, dragging me over to everyone else and talking a mile a minute.

"Isn't this great nee-chan? Now we can be together allll the time! Sasuke will be super jealous, I can't wait to tell him. Aren't you excited nee-chan? Ne, ne, let's go pick out your room! You can get one next to mine and we'll decorate it and it will be fun! Do you wanna go now? Because-"

As he rambled on I took a slice of cake one of the maids offered. She has a curiously stoic expression on her face, as if she had been here too long and was no longer capable of getting the warm and fuzzies; not even Naruto's cheerfulness seemed penetrate. I almost felt sorry for her, but the woman probably got a nice paycheck working here.

I untangled myself from Naruto as I ate, taking this chance to observe my surroundings. This place really was huge and I hadn't even left the room yet. On opposite walls of the foyer were two staircases that curved to meet on the second floor in the middle of the balcony. At both ends were identical hallways, going further off into what I presumed to be the east and went wings. The bottom floor of the foyer contained four doors. Two on the left (one of which looked to be a closet), another set on the right. A large hallway stretched out below the balcony, and at the very end I recalled it opening up to the back yard.

Though the place was large, I had certainly seen bigger, and I had to guess it just made the cut for the word "Manor". I was pulled from my thoughts as someone approached me from my peripheral vison, and I turned my gaze to find Obito grinning down at me, Rin hovering just behind him.

"Hi there, do you remember me? I'm Obito, we met at Naruto's birthday party."

"Er, yeah. I know. Hello." I waved at the two of them.

Rin smiled welcomingly. "How are you feeling? We heard about your stay in the hospital."

"Ah. I'm fine." I reply. "I just got out today."

"That's good!" Obito exclaims. "You gotta get healthy if you want to become a strong ninja like us."

Very funny.

"Oh, that's right!" Rin chirps. "You'll be starting at the academy soon won't you?"

"Actually, I'm not going to the academy. I start civilian school in the spring."

Awkward silence descends as the two take in my words. Everyone else must have been listening in, because all conversation has died. Honestly, it's not like I ever gave the impression that I wanted to be a shinobi. In fact, I'm pretty sure I've done the opposite, and as long as I had even the slightest chance of evading the academy, there was hope. Rin glances at Minato, likely trying to gauge his thought on the matter, but he steadily avoids her gaze.

Smart man. Even though he knows I can use chakra, he doesn't correct me about the academy, for which I am grateful. There's no telling what I'd do if someone actually tried to force me into it. Probably break things.

"That's… that's nice." She says. "So are you excited to start school then?"

I pause for dramatic affect.

"Not one bit."

I know, I have a real talent for conversing.

It's true though. How could I possibly be excited to spend seven hours trapped in a room with twenty other six year old brats? I was literally going back to kindergarten, a terrifying thought.

Nobody says anything to that, and with the conversation dead I wander over to Kakashi, who holds a slice of cake in his hand, eyeing it skeptically; maybe I can bully him into giving it to me. I nudge him with my shoe, and he looks down to me questioningly.

"So are you going to eat that or what?" I ask bluntly.

He snorts, passing it to me. "Glutton."

I eat the slice happily, feeling Kakashi's gaze on me as I do. I had learned that the best thing about being around him was that, unlike many he doesn't talk down to me. He never seems to care when I don't act my age. Part of me wonders if this was what it was like for him as a child, only worse considering he's an actual prodigy and I'm just reincarnated.

"You look awful in orange." He informs me. "It clashes with your hair."

Thank you, fashion police.

"Your hair looks like it couldn't decide between _startled porcupine_ and _unfathomably old._ "

"Your hair style makes you look like a rabbit. A fowl mouthed rabbit with no respect for their elders."

Everyone watches on as Kakashi and I trade insult after insult. No one moves to stop us, which is for the best. I could be competitive at times.

"You want to talk about elderly? You slouch like a grandma from the Nara clan."

"Your alarming shade of hair is the only interesting thing about you."

"Everyone thinks you're hiding something beneath that mask, but I bet you wear it because in reality your face is completely ordinary and forgettable."

"….That was actually a good one Usagi-chan."

"Thank you Bakashi."

He pats my head and I shuffle off to find a place for my empty plate. One of the maids takes it, a peppy girl with a sunny smile. Something about her irks me, and I watch as she disappears through the far door. I sigh and turn to Minato.

"Can we bring my bags up to whatever room is mine?"

He nods, grabbing most of the day's purchases. I managed to nab two but as we headed up the stairs Kakashi snatched them from my hands. I scowled up at him, only to be ignored. We both know he did it to annoy me. On the balcony Minato goes left and we follow after.

"The east wing is where Naruto and your rooms are. There is a bathroom on this side but some of the rooms already come with one, so you can decide yourself whether you want one or not. The west wing is where Kushina and I sleep."

The corridor was wide, with about four doors total; two on each side. At the end it turned to the right and continued on to reveal another three doors decorating the right. Sunlight shined in from the windows to the left, casting a golden glow. The first door was open, and as we passed it I glanced in to see what was obviously Naruto's room; orange covers on the bed, ninja toys strewn about. Not wanting to be in such close proximity to him, I led us passed the second door to the very last one.

The door was open, revealing yet another spacious room. To someone like me, who hadn't had a room to myself in over six years, the place seemed grand. There wasn't much in it, merely a queen sized bed, a large wardrobe, and a desk. The walls were cream and the furniture a light shade to match the wooden floor. Anyone else would have considered it modest, but I found it to be almost overwhelming. Another open door revealed a full bathroom, and for a moment I couldn't help but stare in wonder; so much luxury, and I didn't have to share with a single person.

When was the last time I'd had nice things?

I honestly couldn't remember, and I vowed to make the most of this. It was as far away from anyone as I would get, and the view didn't hurt either. I didn't know if I would feel comfortable painting or decorating anything; I still planned on leaving one day, and I was hesitant to leave behind any reminders. The neutral color scheme was something I could live with, giving off the vibe of a hotel room; comfortable, but temporary. It was an ideal way to think of the Namikaze home, an extended stay, nothing more.

I turned to my companions, words on the tip of my tongue when I catch their expressions. The two of them looked at me with a feeling I couldn't quite place, one that made me uncomfortable as a blush rose on my cheeks. I huffed, gesturing to the bags. "You two can set those down now. This is fine."

They piled the bags at the foot of the bed, before glancing about the room. It was clean, despite its obvious disuse; nice to know the maids did their job then.

"It's a little plain, but we can fix that." A voice said from the doorway. It was Kushina, leaning against the frame and scrutinizing the interior. "You got to take Nao-chan shopping, so I get to help her decorate!" She told her husband.

"Some personalization would lighten it up." Rin said, appearing from nowhere. "We'll make a trip tomorrow and order some stuff; a girls day."

Kushina and Rin started talking colors, and Kakashi had flopped onto the bed, the ends of his legs hanging off. I felt his gaze on me as I set to putting my new clothes away. Minato had gone off to check on Naruto and Obito. The women soon followed, leaving me in peace.

"Do you really like that stuff?"

Well, almost.

"Like what?" I ask.

"Those dresses. You don't seem like the type."

"What type?"

"The girly kind."

"I don't dislike them." I tell him. "I don't have a particular opinion on them I guess."

This is, in a way, true. I have no opinion on such things. Dresses just happen to be useful at this age. They were armor, making me seem cute and unassuming, which was why I also wore bows in my hair. Eventually these items would lose their usefulness, and they'd be traded in; for now though, dresses and bows worked to my advantage.

"You picked them out though." Kakashi points out. "So you definitely had a reason."

"I do. Maybe you're just looking at it the wrong way. My clothes are practical for my needs, not that I'd expect you to understand."

He hums but doesn't say anything in reply. I finish with the clothes and move over to the bathroom. I hang my ribbons where one would normally see a hand towel. My two pairs of shoes were lined up next to the open door. It was as close to personalizing as I would get.

I turned to Kakashi, still lying on my bed and now eyeing the wardrobe speculatively. He was clearly trying to figure out what I had hinted at earlier. I couldn't tell if he had made any progress. Part of me was worried he'd dirty my white comforter, but as I examined him I didn't find any trace of dirt or mud. The lazy thing had probably done nothing all day, there was no other reason for him to be so clean. Unless ninja knew some way to keep dirt off them.

"You're trying to blend in." Kakashi stated. "You'll be going to civilian school soon, so you bought things that are probably popular amongst other children; except you got your clothes from a shinobi store."

I laughed. "How astute. Now get off my bed before you contaminate it. I'm going to find Minato."

He gets up and we depart from the room, heading toward the others. The foyer is empty when we reach it, and Kakashi leads us through the far door into a new hallway. This one is wide as well, but I don't get time to admire anything before I'm shoved into the closest open door. It ends up being a study.

Minato sits at a desk, looking over some papers while Obito dithers on about something from a chair in front of the desk. Two of the walls are lined with books, and light shines in from the window, illuminating them. Both men look up as we enter, and Kakashi takes a seat in the other chair beside Obito.

"I'm going for a walk." I tell them. "I'll be back before the sun sets."

I don't say it like a question, because I'm not in the habit of asking. Instead I just tell them so no one will worry if anyone looks for and can't find me. Minato nods in acknowledgement and the others wave.

That was easy.

Somehow, I had expected a struggle or something. I left before anyone could change their minds. My feet took me to Shika's tree, but he wasn't there. I was half relieved because if he had been there I would have had to confront him. I simply didn't have the energy for such a troublesome thing today.

I lay beneath the tree, letting the sun soak into my skin. The last week had taken an unexpectedly warm turn, around sixty degrees today, a perfect temperature for doing absolutely nothing. I spent the rest of the afternoon there, dozing off on occasion. No one bothered me, but the longer I laid there the more something poked at my mind. It was as if the air was just the slightest bit… thicker, and even though it was probably nothing, my paranoia would not allow me to ignore it.

A shiver went down my spine, and my hackles rose. I could feel it, someone was watching me. It was a skill acquired from standing out like I seemed to; after a while you can just tell when people are looking. I used my chakra sense to scan the area around me, but I found nothing. I was almost ready to chalk it up to trauma or whatever when something caught my attention.

It was too quiet.

There were no birds chirping like usual. I scanned my surroundings again, and there was nothing. Animals have chakra too, so unless they had recently learned to suppress it, there were none nearby. No animals meant they had been scared away. Someone was here, I just couldn't sense them.

Calmly, I sat up, stretching my arms. I got to my feet and forced myself to walk sedately. The manor was too far from here, and I didn't know if this person was planning on just watching or taking action. I shoved my hands into my pockets to hide their shaking, and concentrated on breathing normally.

I turned my gait, putting some pep into my step. Act like the curious little girl you should be Nao. As I pranced my mind was attempting to analyze possible motives and figure out a safe place to go. The Hyuuga clan compound would be ideal, if I'd known anyone there. My feet turned right before my brain caught up but I knew where I was heading.

There was never much of a choice to begin with.

No one stopped me when I entered the Nara compound; I was a regular here. Clansmen smiled at me as I went by, and I reciprocated, waving cheerfully. This seemed to startle some of them, but none of these people knew me, they wouldn't know anything was wrong. They would only see a happy child.

Thankfully the Nara family knew me better. I knocked on the door, and Yoshino answered within seconds. I could see it in her eyes; she knew something was wrong right away. My too wide smile, or frenzied gaze betrayed me. My stance was casual and loose, a trait I had learned from Shikaku.

"Hello Yoshino-san!" I said vivaciously. I would not call myself a depressed child, but perky was just not my thing. I could tell I was beginning to worry her, but Yoshino played along.

"Hi sweetheart. Are you here to see Shika? He should be home soon."

"Do you mind if I wait then?"

"Of course not." She opens the door wide enough for me to slip in.

After she closes it, Yoshino turns to me, but I don't give her the chance to speak.

"Is Shikaku-san around?"

"Yes… he should be on the back porch."

I move more quickly than I should, my nerves starting to fray. The sliding door is open when I arrive, and Shikaku sits cross legged, staring at a shogi board. He looks up as I approach and I have to wonder how crazed I look, because his expression shifts immediately. Nothing noticeable to a normal person, but as someone fluent in Nara I can tell the difference.

"Hi Shikaku-san! Up for a game?"

I had avoided playing with him since the first time, so that along with my chipper attitude should be suspicious enough.

"…Sure." He replies.

I sit across from him, mirroring his position. To anyone watching this would be completely natural, but Shikaku narrows his gaze when I do so. I have always been careful to be as polite and respectful around adults as possible, and every time I come over for whatever reason and Shikamaru's parents are here, I sit seiza. I mentally thank god for Nara intelligence; I'm determined to leave as many hints as possible that somethings wrong.

The game starts and I struggle to hide the adrenaline flowing through my veins. I make several mistakes, but Shikaku doesn't take any pieces. He draws out the game, giving me time to think about how to tell him my suspicions without sounding like a lunatic. I had to make him notice the things I was.

"It's a lovely day today." I say. "Perfect weather for relaxing."

"Ah. It certainly is." He agreed.

"Feels like one of those perfect days, you know? Sun beaming, wind breezing, birds chirping away. All that's left is to get a fruity drink or cut up some watermelon."

Shikaku's head tilts slightly, and something flashes through his eyes, too fast for me to recognize. I can only hope he understands, because otherwise I'll have to keep going on and he'll probably have me committed.

"I've moved into the Namikaze manor. Turns out its irresponsible to give six year olds apartments. Who would of thought?"

"Me, if you had asked." He lifts himself from the floor, holding his hand out to me. "Why don't we go get some of that fruit you were talking about?"

He pulls me up and keeps a hand on my back as we head inside and close the door. Yoshino gives us a look as we stop in the kitchen and Shikaku waves.

"I'm going to drop Nao off, I'll be back later."

We say farewell, and Yoshino makes me promise to come around for dinner this week. When we get out the front door Shikaku crouches down, offering me his back. I climb on, too nervous to question. My hands start to shake again slightly and I ponder on whether he can feel it.

Probably.

As he walks we make small talk, and it all filters right out of my brain as soon as Shikaku changes subjects. I regret my decision to go to him as we move through busy streets. Shikaku isn't strong, if we're attacked I don't know how well he'll fair, and he has a family to take care of. It was selfish of me to bother him with this.

In the distance I spot the manor, and as we pass the gate, going straight up to the front door. I debate on if I'm supposed to knock or just enter when the door opens anyway. Obito, Rin, and Kakashi seem to be leaving, and they look surprised to see us just standing here. Behind them Minato, seeming only vaguely curious. He must have felt us approaching.

Shikaku lets me down. "Hey there. Got a minute?" he asks.

In response the door opens wider, so we enter. I feel twitchy, and in the safety of the manor I don't bother trying to hide it. I can feel Minato and Kakashi staring holes into my head, which makes a chill run up my spine. I shiver and turn to Shikaku.

"Thank you for walking me home, Shikaku-san. I'll see you on Saturday."

He just pats my head, watching as I climb up the staircase and disappear around the corner. I'm half tempted to stay and listen in, but I doubt it will work, and anyway I feel emotionally exhausted.

I return to my room, going over to the window and locking it. I shut the curtains for good measure before moving to the bathroom. I turn the faucet on and let the tub fill with hot water, searching the cabinets for clean towels as I wait. I find some and set them next to the tub, and then I strip, locking the door. I slide into the steaming water slowly, trying to relax.

It's a vain attempt, and as the water cools I still feel keyed up.

Finally I give up all together, draining the tub while I wrap a towel around my form. I kicked my clothes to the side of the bathroom, not bothering to put them in the laundry basket. I tug open the door, going over to the wardrobe and taking out some sleep wear.

Just as I finish dressing a knock sounds at the door. I moan and crawl onto my bed, already sensing who's on the other side.

"Nobody's home." I drone.

Of course, he doesn't listen to me. Kakashi strolls in like he owns the place, glancing at my shut curtains before joining me on the bed. We both stare at the ceiling in silence, content to wait the other out. On an ordinary day, I would be the victor; as it was, I was a jumpy mess.

"Someone was following me today. Don't tell me I'm paranoid."

"…You have excellent instincts."

"So there _was_ someone there?" I ask, bolting up. "Did you catch them?"

"You have an ANBU detail on you, Usagi-chan. That's who was following you."

"What?" I sputtered. "Why?"

"Don't be dense. You know why." Kakashi eyed me contemplatively. "What I want to know is how you figured it out so quickly."

I scowled. A target indeed.

"Oh." I muttered. "That. It was pretty obvious."

"How so?"

"The birds." I tell him. "I always hear them, but today it was dead quiet."

I don't mention using my chakra sensing to find no creatures in the area; better to keep these things to myself. Sure, Kakashi and Minato knew I'd been messing around with my chakra, but I wasn't going to let them know how much.

Kakashi hums thoughtfully.

"Anyway," I mumble. "Can you tell Minato I won't be having dinner on your way out? I think I'm going to turn in early."

"It's six o'clock."

"Emphasis on _early_ "

"Alright then." Kakashi says, getting up from the bed. "Good night Usagi-chan."

"Farewell, Bakashi. Godspeed."

He looks at me funny, probably because Godspeed doesn't exactly translate well to Japanese. I salute him as he closes my door, leaving me in the dim light of my room. In all honesty I'm not tired enough to sleep, but the idea of spending any more time with human beings, let alone Kushina, is too much for me.

I stare at the ceiling for hours, until the light fades completely from behind my curtains. I try to shut down my brain and sleep, but something feels wrong. I think about it for a long time before it hits me. I'm in a room alone.

All this life I had shared a room with thirty other children, had fallen asleep to their even breaths and soft snores. I hadn't had time to notice in the hospital, I was always so tired. Now here I was, unable to sleep because it was far too silent. What a ways I had come. It's pathetic, children, babies, are dead, and my biggest problem is that I can't sleep.

What a joke.

They died and I got a new home with people who really seemed to want to bond with me. How did it come to that? Those children wait for their justice, to be avenged, and what did I do today? I went _shopping_. Disgust at myself flows through me, and I can't help but wonder what I had ever done to deserve such a good deal in life. I was nothing special. I had never done anything worth remembering, and yet here I was. A second life, a new family. I'll never struggle to pay bills again, or worry if I'll be able to make it through winter with heat.

No, I'll never have to deal with the problems I constantly faced in my old life, and I'll never take them for granted either. But I didn't deserve any of this. I had done bad things back then; only to survive, but still awful things. Like they say, the road to hell is paved with good intentions. And those poor children? They deserved a second life, a second chance and parents who loved them. They deserved a soft bed and warm hugs. Not to burn to death. No one deserved that. I wondered if they had been reincarnated as well, a lucky second chance.

Maybe I wasn't so lucky though, considering where I was.

In fact, maybe this was Karma.

If it was, I had only myself to blame.

* * *

A/N

And another chapter ends.

Thoughts? Questions?

Please Review!


	8. Chapter 8

A/N

Thank you guys for reviewing!

One of you made a good point so real quick I want to explain Nao's decision to move into the Namikaze manor. As much as she disliked the idea, self-preservation won out over her pride. Nao realizes she is in danger, and after being kidnapped during a time period she was positive she would be safe in, she was shaken.

In the last chapter, when Nao thinks she's being watched, her nerves start to fray and you can see that even as she tries to keep herself together she's falling apart.

So that's that.

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Kishimoto is the proud owner of everything not Nao.

* * *

Months pass, and I find myself a comfortable routine. Up with the rising sun and out the door after grabbing the first snack I can get my hands on. So far, the only time I spend with the Namikazes is during dinner. I knew that in order to keep everyone happy I would have to spend some time with them, so I was always back for supper and after I'd let Naruto hang around and do whatever it was that he did while I tried to keep up with his seemingly endless energy. When I became thoroughly exhausted I'd retire to my room, reading through my notebooks until my eyes started to droop.

I had decided early on that even though basically everyone that mattered knew about my chakra fiddling, it would be unwise to continue going to my old training place. I wasn't exactly eager to lead my ANBU there, especially because then they'd see my stolen textbooks from the academy, and that would be awkward to explain.

There would be no acceptable explanation for me having them, and I really didn't want Minato to find out and punish me for being a thief; which, technically I was. But just because I couldn't go back there didn't mean I couldn't _send_ anyone else. Mind you, my options were limited to Shikamaru and Chouji, but still. I had put in a lot of effort into those notebooks, and I wasn't about to let them go to waste. So I had guilt Shika into going for me. We were both aware that his absence during my recovery hadn't actually been his fault, but even so, he felt bad and I wasn't above taking advantage of that.

When we had all finally been reunited, Chouji had practically tackled me, crying into my stomach about how worried they had been and how happy they were to see me while I patted his head and tried to hold in my laughter. I would take this secret to the grave, but out of all the chibi-rookie nine I had met, Chouji was undeniably the cutest. When I got him calmed down, Shikamaru simply scanned me for injuries, and, finding none, nodded in satisfaction before lying down on my other side. I joined him in watching the clouds drift lazily by, and for a few seconds, all was peaceful.

Then the feeling washed over me, the one I get when I can feel eyes on me. I couldn't help but stiffen slightly. I knew they were there, the ANBU, and that they were watching over me for my protection. Never the less, I felt like prey. Shika, who had been rather close to my side, noticed my change in posture immediately.

"What is it?" He asked quietly.

"Uh, it's sort of a long story." I replied. "Essentially, I now have an ANBU guard."

"…What?" Chouji voiced with a baffled expression upon his face.

Shikamaru got a look in his eyes; one that promised trouble. "Maybe you should start at the beginning." He said, in a suggestion that was really a command.

"Er, right." I muttered, inching away from him. "Well, I don't know how much your parents told you about what happened to me-"

"Nothing." They said in unison, surprising me. Now, I could understand Chouji's parents not saying anything, he was a gentle boy; no need to give him nightmares. I never thought Shikaku would be the babying type though.

"We were told not to ask you, in case you didn't want to talk about it." Shika explained.

Ah, it was _me_ being babied.

A warm fluttery feeling settled in my sternum at the display of parental concern.

"Okay," I began. "So, the day of the attack I was wandering around and I saw this kid fall into a lake. After I pulled him out the alarms went off so we ended up sticking together. Two ninja jumped us when we were trying to get to the mountain and we were kidnapped-"

"You were _kidnapped_?!" Shikamaru interrupted, aghast.

"Yes." I glared at him. "As I was saying, they captured us and knocked us out. When I woke up we were in some kind of cave; there was only one guy and he was next to a fire. We ended up escaping when I pushed him into it. The other ninja found us though and there was a fight before a rescue team from Konoha found us. The End."

"That doesn't explain why ANBU are guarding you." Shika countered.

I sighed. "Apparently I'm an Uzumaki and that's really rare so now people want me and I need protection."

All was quiet as my friends took in this information.

"… You know, I always knew you were important." Chouji declared.

A blush graced my cheeks, and I tried to shove it down. After that day everything went back to normal more or less. We'd meet at the tree almost every day, sometimes just two of us. It was during one of these times I asked Shikamaru to get my things.

I had written down what I needed him to do and directions on how to get there beforehand, so we wouldn't have to speak about it out loud. I carried it with me whenever I went to meet up with them, waiting for a day I could get Shika alone. I never even considered asking Chouji; I was afraid he'd get lost in the woods or something.

When the day arrived that we were finally alone, lying around in the sun, I slipped the folded paper from my pocket and handed it to him. He opened it, not bothering to ask any questions. He read the note quickly, eyeing me when he was finished. For a second I thought he was about to say no, but in the end he just stood up, stretching casually as he departed.

Shika returned with the notebooks after maybe an hour. He dropped them by my side before lying back down. I could feel the questions buzzing through his mind, but neither of us said anything. His expression told me that we would be having a _talk_ later. He had probably looked through the notebooks when he found them next to the textbooks.

I was never more thankful for my ANBU.

* * *

Once in a blue moon, I break from tradition. Usually unwillingly or by accident, but it does happen. Today was one of those days. Instead of waking up to the sun dawning over the horizon, I woke to bright beams of light shining through my window. The change was startling, seeing shadows around my room in an angle I never had before. It could only mean one thing of course; I had overslept.

As I got ready for the upcoming day, I felt distinctly twitchy. The last time I had slept in, Konoha had been invaded. I threw on a bright yellow dress and matching hair bows, hoping the sunny color would brighten my mood. It didn't, but it was the thought that counts, right? A loud crash came from somewhere below my room, reminding me that I was not the only one awake this hour. There was simply no way I would be able to get out of the manor unscathed at the current time of day, so I vowed to at least get a good breakfast in for once.

I strolled leisurely down the stairs and through the far door toward the kitchen, following the sound of voices as I went. To my shock, Minato hadn't left for work yet. He sat at the table with the rest of his family, including Kakashi. They all looked surprised to see me when I entered and conversation briefly died. It was a fair reaction, considering the lengths I went to avoid them. One time, I had felt Naruto approaching my room and I had literally climbed out my window and down the outer wall to evade him.

"Good morning nee-chan!" Naruto said, beaming from his seat. The strength of his voice caused me to cringe slightly in surprise, even though I had grown used to it by now. I could see the adults take note of this, but I ignored them in favor of mumbling something resembling a good morning and finding myself sustenance. My gaze went over everything suspiciously, and I settled for a bottle of water and some rice balls.

I ended up sitting at one end of the table, with Kakashi on my left and an empty seat to my right. Kushina was staring holes into me as I sat, like she couldn't believe I was actually here, having breakfast and being human. I turned my attention from her and used my chakra to scan the estate. The maids were in two different rooms on the first floor but other than that everything appeared fine.

Distantly I wondered how early they came, since they didn't cook breakfast in the mornings. Why Kushina didn't want them to I'll never know, but whatever. Personally, I didn't like the maids. Yumi, the perpetually perky one, got on my nerves. Something about her just seemed so damn insincere, and I constantly had the urge to wipe that stupid smile off her face.

The other one, Haruka, was the complete opposite of her co-worker. She shuffled through the manor at a snail's pace, as though simply being there was painful. She did manage to do a good job though, so she was the more tolerable of the two. I had made Kushina tell them my room was off limits. I was a neat person by nature, and I didn't feel comfortable with having someone clean up after me.

Every time I used the washing machine to clean my sheets, clothes, or towels Yumi would give me the evil eye and Haruka would stand watch, as if she was afraid I'd break the machine and get her in trouble. It was a mutual dislike, what we had for each other, but I would never be so cruel as to get someone fired. I knew from personal experience that everybody struggles.

Someone cleared their throat, tearing me from my thoughts.

"Well, this is a pleasant surprise." Minato says. "Usually you're up with the sun."

I shrug in reply, fiddling with my drink.

I took a sip of my water and broke off a piece of rice, popping it into my mouth to avoid talking. Conversation picked back up, and I could feel Kakashi eyeing my clothes as I ate. I glared, daring him to say something about it. So what if the color clashed horribly with my hair? I like yellow, sue me.

Breakfast continues, and I make sure to casually scan the area every five minutes, tracking the maids' movements as I did. Call me paranoid, but something just told me today was going to be a bad day. When Naruto accidentally knocks over the salt shaker and the clatter makes me jump, concern visibly seeps into the adults.

"Are you feeling okay Nao-chan?" Kushina asks, putting a hand to my forehead.

I lean my head away.

"Yes." I reply, and then quickly add, "Why? Are _you_ feeling okay?"

God help us all if she keels over and the Kyubi is released. I examine her, but Kushina looks normal as always to me. Everyone looks at me strangely, and I continue eating. After a moment, Kakashi throws his napkin in my direction, making me flinch violently.

"Alright." He says. "What's your problem Usagi-chan?"

"Nothing." I hissed, picking at my food.

"Clearly it's not nothing, otherwise you wouldn't look like you're about to jump out of your skin."

"…You'll all laugh if I tell you."

"So tell us anyway"

I sigh despairingly.

"I overslept this morning." I complained, looking at the table. "Last time that happened, the village was attacked. Call it superstitious, but I just have a weird feeling about today."

"Ah." Minato hums. "It's okay to do that once in a while Nao-chan. Nothing bad is going to happen if you sleep in."

Maybe he was right. It had to have been a coincidence that I overslept that day. Things like that just don't happen. As I reassured myself a chakra signature caught my attention as it sped toward the manor. I stiffened, but neither Kakashi nor Minato seemed bothered. A door slamming open echoed throughout the place, and a figure appeared at the entryway of the kitchen.

It was an extremely tall man, with long, wild white hair and red tattoos flowing from his eyes down to his cheeks. His unique characteristics helped me place his face immediately, and I felt excitement waring with dread, because this was one of the legendary Sannin, and I had slept in. Jiraiya spared a glance about the room before going over and crushing Minato in a hug.

"It's so good to see you Mina-kun!" He exclaimed, before putting him down at turning to the rest of the table's occupants. "Hey kids! How're- good god." He said when his gaze landed on me. "Did you two have another kid while I was away? I don't remember this one."

I sense a troublesome situation coming on, and decide to make a quick getaway. "Oh, look at the time." I said in false surprise. "I should get going. Things to do you know. Bye!"

I hopped from my chair and trotted away under the weight of everyone's gaze. The front door was wide open as I approached it, and I made sure to shut it as I left. I wandered to Shika's tree, the last to arrive for once. Chouji shuffled to make room for me, and I laid between them, sighing in content. As soon as I relaxed I could feel the presence of my ANBU.

It was a strange feeling, because chakra sensing wise, I couldn't feel them at all. It was more of a slight tension in the air, a feel that often had animals scurrying away. I didn't think it was normal that I could tell, but I'd never know for sure seeing as it wasn't something I would ever willingly draw attention to.

The day went on, and that paranoid feeling remained. I tried to appear calm for my friend's sakes, but it was difficult. Shika scooted closer, holding his hand up to point at a certain cloud. He had been sticking to me like glue lately, and I knew it was because he was worried. I didn't blame him; if I had seen him unconscious in the hospital I would be feeling a bit overprotective too.

"My parents want to know if you'd be having dinner with us tonight." Shikamaru says. "We're having stew, I think."

I pause, contemplating. An image of having dinner with Jiraiya enters my mind.

"Yes." I reply, holding back a shiver. "Definitely."

He grunts in acknowledgment, and we laze around for hours until Chouji's stomach grumbles and he suggests lunch. We agree and trudge toward the heart of the village, where one of the Akimichi restaurants is located. Being the heir to the clan has benefits, because whenever we go they never make us pay. Someone seats us at a booth and takes our orders. While we wait other customers continually glance our way. You can make out their whispers of "Hokage's daughter." and "Namikaze princess."

The boys glare at anyone that looks our way, but I ignore it all. I had been living in the Namikaze manor for two months now, and I had long gotten tired of the gossip spreading. The lost Namikaze, the hidden princess. It was all garbage, but none of these people understood or cared to listen. I finally get a surname and they don't even bother to get it right. The villagers seemed to care more about romanticizing the rumor than the actual truth.

People had started giving me free things wherever I went, saying it was an honor and a privilege and blah blah blah. Of course, I wasn't about to deny free food, but it was still annoying and mildly disturbing. At one point a man had called Minato my father, and I remember dumping my drink on him before walking away.

After that people were more wary with their words, but they continued to treat me like a princess. They were just more polite about it now. Less people approached, but they still moved out of my path in public; some even bowed. It was stressful at first, but with time I grew used to it. I was too recognizable to fly under the radar anymore, so I learned to adapt. I held my head high, walking with grace and basically trying to copy what the few Hyuuga I'd seen act like. If everyone wanted to call me a princess then I'd act like one, and milk it for all it was worth.

Hopefully it'd die out though.

Our food arrived, and we dug in. Chouji had a fondness for barbeque, so it was what I usually ordered. I'd eat about half and he would finish the rest. Shika would eye me until I ordered some dessert; the kid was way too in tuned to my eating habits. The food was as always delicious, and I found myself having a good time as we ate and talked.

"You two will be starting at the Academy in about a month right?" I questioned. "I bet you guys will love it. Well, maybe Chouji will at least." Shikamaru would loath going. I could already see to look on his face when he realizes how boring it will be. I restrain the urge to cackle.

"Yeah," Chouji replied. "I can't wait. We'll become super strong in no time!"

"Oh?" I teased. "Will you forget your poor civilian friend along the way? I won't be nearly as strong as you two. Maybe I won't be cool enough to hang out with."

"No way Nao-chan!" Chouji exclaimed. "We'd never forget you! Just watch, when we become ninja we'll protect you!"

I barely resist from cooing and pinching his cheeks. "What about you?" I say, turning to Shikamaru. "Will you get strong and protect your defenseless friend?"

He snorts. "Somehow, I find it hard to think of you as defenseless. But it'd be troublesome if you got hurt so I guess we'll stick around. Someone's got to look after you."

"Gee, thanks."

"Have you signed up for civilian school yet?" Shika asks.

"… Nope." I reply. "I forgot to."

He sighs. In all honesty I did forget, but it wasn't something I was worried about. What kind of idiot is going to deny the "Namikaze princess" a spot in school and risk the Hokage's wrath? I didn't like my new fame; I had never been important before, and getting such special attention now was disconcerting. Still, name-dropping would probably be the only way I'd get in since I had waited so late to enroll. As we finished up I made note to get that done today instead of waiting any longer.

We wandered around for a while, before stopping to rest on a bench facing away from the road. We were on the main street that led straight to the Hokage tower. Now that I thought about it, this street ran the length in diameter of the village, going from the front gate all the way to the mountain. It was one of the busiest roads in Konoha for good reason. Directly in front of us was a little sitting area with a fountain. Children played around it, and a few of the people sitting along its edge seemed to be making wishes before throwing their coins in.

"What are you going to do if you're too late?" Chouji asks. "Will you go to the academy with us?"

"A princess is never late." I say sarcastically, quoting the princess diaries. "Everyone else is simply early. Besides, I don't want to be a Kunoichi. My dream is to… own a tea shop."

Complete bullshit of course; I've never wanted to work in customer service. I can't exactly say I want to leave the village and disappear though. That might alarm some people. I can tell Shika doesn't believe a word of it, but Chouji just nods understandingly.

"That's a nice dream to have, Nao-chan." He says.

"Thanks."

I feel guilty for lying to such a sweet face, but it must be done. Chouji continues to make conversation as we watch people stroll to and fro. Laughter comes from the shop behind us, and, curious, I turn to see a pub with an out-door patio. It was only two in the afternoon, but through the window I could spot people already drinking alcohol. For a split second I see a mask peeking from the roof; my ANBU seem to have found a nice spot then. Rolling my eyes, I turned back to face the fountain.

With the sun warming me and my stomach full, I started dozing off. I leaned my head against Chouji's shoulder as he asked Shikamaru a question. My eyes closed and I reveled in the cheerful atmosphere. For early March it was a lovely day, in the high sixties temperature wise with a nice calm breeze blowing by once in a while.

I hadn't even bothered to bring a jacket today because it was so nice; I was starting to love how short Konoha winters were. It only got really cold for November through January, and rarely snow worthy cold; just chilly enough for winter attire. In the distance children squealed and giggled happily, the boys conversed sedately, and I listened to it all, letting the sounds lull me.

Despite the bad start, today was an okay day. As the soothing atmosphere continued, I found myself wishing everyday could be as mellow and enjoyable as this one. I wanted to pause time here so I could always feel this serene. For a moment, life was good, and everything was peaceful.

For a single moment.

Then, the world exploded.

* * *

The first thing I noticed when I came to was that my ears were ringing, and a wretched, _familiar_ burning smell had filled the air. I opened my eyes to a cloud of smoke and dust. There was screaming, but everything was sort of muted. Surrounding me were ruins and debris, and I struggled to my knees, trying to figure out what had happened.

The fountain was gone. In its place water spouted from the ground. There were bodies strewn all around it, burnt beyond recognition. Blood stained several places on the soil, soaking into it. To my left a woman has her mouth open in a silent scream; or maybe she's actually screaming. I can't tell with all the ringing. She's looking at a slab of concrete in front of her. Blood seeps from it, and taking a closer look I see a tiny leg sticking out from under it.

I turn away and heave up my lunch.

Twisting around, I see that the pub is also gone. Through the smoky remains of the building I see warped pieces of metal and charred figures. I look away quickly, focusing on my legs for a second. A light catches my attention from my peripheral vision, and my gaze wanders up just in time to see a man on fire running past. He tries patting himself down and rolling on the ground, but nothing seems to be working. He's definitely screaming, the distant sound just as wretched to my ears.

I watch on in horror as he's burned alive, unable to look away. My body is shaking violently and tears stream down my face, distorting my vision. I'm glad, because I don't want to see anything. My ears are still ringing and my hands quiver, the air is too thick, making each breath end in coughing. It finally occurs to me to force myself low to the ground, where the air is clearer, and I do so, taking a moment to think. Some of the surrounding buildings are on fire, and there's so much smoke and dust clouding the air that I can't see more than fifteen feet.

I needed to move.

I crawl over and around the debris, calling for Chouji and Shikamaru. My throat is dry from inhaling the fumes, and I can't hear properly, but I keep trying anyway. Everything hurts, but I don't take time to examine myself, content with the fact that I still have all four limbs and they're in working condition. After burning a knee on a piece of metal still heated from its explosion, I'm more careful.

I'm petrified, because I know what's happening, why none of our shinobi have come to help yet. We're under attack again. I stop calling out, for fear of the wrong person finding me. Instead I force myself to move as quickly as I can, searching desperately for my friends. As I move over a pile of concrete it shifts, making me loose balance and fall forward.

As I halt my momentum my faces ends up inches away from another's. I stare for a moment, unable to process what I'm seeing. It was once a woman, with long pretty dark hair. What was left only covered half her head. The right half of her skin was gone, like it had been melted off. Half of her lips had been burned off, leaving her mouth in an expression that looked almost feral. Her right eye was gone too, but her left stared straight back at me.

A shriek left me as I scrambled away, my back slamming into something. I wanted to look away, but I noticed something horrifying. Her eye had moved, blinked. She was alive. I sobbed hysterically as she watched me for a few minutes, but when her eye closed once more, it didn't reopen.

Sure she was dead this time, I moved around her, pushing myself to continue forward. I kept my eyes away from anything resembling a body as I went on. I ignored the smell of burning flesh and the screams which were becoming clearer. _Keep moving Nao_.

When I reached the end of the disaster zone, I still hadn't found my friends. My mind was screaming at me, begging to not go back and subject myself to the things in there. I imagined Chouji, terrified and stuck under a piece of debris, and Shikamaru, unconscious and bleeding out from a metal pipe stuck in his gut.

I turned back in.

Retracing my steps, I went the other way this time. The screaming woman was still there and I was careful to not look anywhere near her. My boys wouldn't be among the corpses there, couldn't be. There was no clear path, and I was force to climb over and under the wreckage. I struggled to hold my coughs in as I went, afraid to draw attention. My ears still ringed so I didn't know if there was anyone nearby.

This side didn't seem to have nearly as many bodies, for which I was thankful. I ventured in further, careful about what I stepped on. There was less smoke here, and it seemed like only one or two of the buildings were still on fire. It had been a true miracle I was alive and mostly unharmed. The bench had been in between blasts, and its location was probably why we were still alive.

It was worrying that no one had come to help yet. I had been all through this place, and I had yet to find any leaf ninja. Something was definitely wrong, because our site must have taken the most damage. It was like every other building had exploded here, and the wreckage zone was at least the length of three city blocks.

Movement caught my eye and I turned to see a small figure. My heart pounded and I drew closer hoping against hope I had found them. When I got close enough, I could confirm it was Chouji. He was trying to lift something and the desperate way he moved made my stomach drop. I touched his shoulder and he flinched before turning to me.

Tears tracks lined his dirty face, and I could his body jerk with a cry as he hugged me upon recognizing me. He let go and said something, but I couldn't hear him. I shuffled him to the side, trying to see what I already knew was there.

Shika was on the ground, pinned by a large metal beam. It laid on his legs, holding him down on his front. He was awake, and had similar lines down his face, but he wasn't screaming in pain. I thought this was good; his legs weren't being crushed then. His eyes were panicked as he stared up at me, and his shoulders shook once in a sob. My mind instantly went into action mode.

I smiled grimly, asking if he could hear me. He nodded and said something, but I shook my head and told him I couldn't hear anything right. Wiping his tears, I asked him if he thought his legs were broken; he paused, but shook his head no. I told him I was going to get him out, before turning to Chouji and telling him to stay there.

I got up and looked around the beam. There was no way we would be able to lift it, but we couldn't risk going out for help either. It was clear my ANBU were dead and therefore not going to be much help, because they would have found me by now if they were still breathing. I knew nothing about architecture other than what I had learned watching natural disaster movies.

It wasn't safe to move any of the debris; I didn't know what would set it all crashing down on my friend. If we couldn't move anything above, then we would have to do it from below. The village didn't have paved roads; everything was made out of dirt. We could dig around him to give him room to wiggle out. If the beam was only pinning him and not crushing him, then it wouldn't continue to push down if he went lower.

I returned and lay down in front of Shikamaru, clawing the ground out around him. It was difficult and too slow, and eventually I lost patience. I channeled chakra to my hands, strengthening my fingers and nails. I continued to dig, and Chouji pushed aside the dirt as it piled up. To do this properly, I had to dig a hole on either side of Shika's body from shoulder to whatever I could reach beneath the beam. When it became deep enough I started digging at the dirt under him. The process was lengthier than I thought it would be, and my chakra sputtered out before I could get to his legs. I kept going though, ignoring the pain as my fingernails began to break and bleed.

I dug up enough and soon Shikamaru was wiggling. Chouji and I both grabbed an arm and managed to pull him out from under the beam. By now I could sort of hear better, and the sound of us all sobbing in relief was mixed with coughs while we huddled together. I held on to them for a minute or two, unwilling to let go so soon. They in turn had me in a death grip.

"Where do we go now?" Chouji asked.

"We need to get to the mountain, where it's safe." Shika said.

They started walking off and I grabbed their shirts, halting them.

"No." I blurted. "We won't make it. Our best bet is to find a building here that isn't falling apart or on fire."

I was sure that in a twisted way, here was safest. I'd been wandering around for a while, and I had yet to come across any ninja, enemy or otherwise. I was willing to bet though that there were some lurking around outside the disaster zone, maybe hoping to pick off survivors.

"How long have we been in here do you think?" I ask Shikamaru.

"At least over an hour I'd say." He answered.

"Right. An entire hour." I argue. "All that time, and we've seen not a single shinobi. I made it out clear to the other side looking for you two, and no leaf nin were there helping anyone. Don't you find that strange?"

The boys nodded warily, and it was decided we would take shelter and wait everything out. Behind the beam was a shop. The windows were busted and there was some debris sticking out, but the place looked like it would stay standing. I led the way, crawling over various parts of wreckage to get through the broken window.

On the inside was a body, and I turned away, hurrying the boys into a back storage room before they could see it. I closed the door and flipped a switch, but no light came on. I don't know why I thought the electricity would be working anyway. The storage room had no back entrance, and light filtered in dimly from two small square windows; the air was much cleaner here, which suggested little to no ventilation.

We piled on the ground against the wall, and I took this chance to examine the boys. Chouji had a deep gash on his forehead, it had clotted and the blood that previously dripped from it had dried. His clothes were in ruins, and he had several cuts to the back of his body. Shika was in a similar condition, and his legs were darkly bruised from where the beam had put pressure on them, and burned badly. I wasn't sure how he had managed to walk in silence.

All in all, we had been extremely lucky. We would come away from this with minimal injuries compared to the rest. Adrenaline was still pumping through my veins, and I stood up, looking around the room for something to do. The boxes in here were all filled with fabric. I took out a piece and headed for the door.

"Where are you going?" Shikamaru asked quickly. He moved as if to stand up.

"Just up to the front. I'll be right back okay?" I left without waiting for an answer, closing the door behind me.

I went around to the front, by the door. The body was laying there; I lifted the fabric in the air, letting it settle against the figure. I pretended to not notice the missing bottom half. With that over, I went behind the counter. On top of it sat a cash register, but I didn't touch it. Instead my eyes wandered to the shelfs below, looking for a possible weapon.

In a cabinet to the right, I find a large tool box. Opening it, I glance through the contents before taking a screw driver. If it came down to it, I'd have an easier time stabbing someone than using a hammer. The screw driver was lighter, faster. I didn't even consider grabbing a weapon for the boys. Out of the three of us, I was the most messed up mentally. I was willing to do whatever it took to keep my boys alive with as much of their innocence intact as possible. I stuck the handle into my pocket and returned to the storage room.

If there was one thing I had learned from my shitty experiences in life, it was that I'm a survivor. I would do what was necessary to live to see another day, I was adaptable. It was something I was becoming thankful for. My ability to think rationally in a crisis would keep me alive, and I was determined that we would all live through this. The boys were shaking and scared. Somehow, this helped me keep my cool. I could handle chaos, I had seen worse.

Things I was better off not thinking about.

I sat between them with my new weapon in hand, holding my arms out and letting them snuggle into me. We stayed in that position for what felt like hours, and the boys eventually fell asleep. I stayed awake, ignoring the muffled screams that pierced the air every now and then. My mind was alert and ready, thinking a mile a minute about everything. Were we losing? Is that why no one had come for us yet? Did everyone think we were dead? How long had the fighting been going on?

A sound of crunching glass snapped me out of my thoughts, and my body stiffened. Shika and Chouji were awake in seconds, and I shoved my hands over their mouths to keep them silent. Slowly, I stood, slipping toward the door. I held the screw driver slightly behind me, just out of sight.

There was nowhere to hide in here, and I simply hoped that I could distract an enemy long enough for the boys to escape. The door started to open and I didn't wait to see who it was, aiming for the hand around the doorknob. I stabbed the screw driver as hard as I could, there was a sickening squelch as it made contact. I pulled it back out and there was a grunt of pain, and the door was thrown open, missing me by an inch.

I held my weapon defensively as two shinobi appeared. They realized I was just a child the same time I recognized the Konoha hitai-ate. One of the ninja held his hand to his body as blood dripped from it. My hands went over my mouth as I realized what I'd just done, the screw driver clattering to the ground.

I had just attacked a Leaf nin.

The uninjured one stepped forward with his palms out, as if trying to say he meant no harm. Shika and Chouji had come to stand behind me.

"Did we win?" Shikamaru asked quietly. The ninja nodded. The boys both made relieved sounds, but I was too busy staring at the person I stabbed. His face was familiar, and I might have been able to place it were I not focusing on his hand instead.

"I'm really sorry." I said, looking into his face. He was very tall, and had two scars lining his face. He wore a bandana under his hitai-ate, and a long black coat. There was blood splattered on him, but I didn't think it was his.

The man looked down at me for a moment. "What are you sorry about?" he said gruffly. "It was a good shot. Pure luck though."

I sputtered, unable to come up with words. He had just complimented me for stabbing him. The other ninja sighed in exasperation, like he was used to this kind of thing. He explained that they were here to find survivors, and that they needed to take us to the hospital. We were led to the front, where the uninjured nin carried both boys out. My eyes slid involuntarily to the corpse as the man took me into his arms. A soothing numbness enveloped me as I looked.

"Did you do that?" He said, jerking his chin toward the covered body.

"Yeah," I replied, tearing my eyes away. "I didn't want my friends to see. I couldn't find the bottom half though."

The man made a strange noise before taking off. We headed toward the hospital, over the rooftops. For some reason, I didn't want to go there. I tugged on the man's sleeve in an attempt to get his attention.

"Can you take me to the Hokage tower, please?"

He pauses, taking a moment to scrutinize me.

"You're the Namikaze b-"

"Uzumaki." I interject. "I'm Uzumaki Nao."

"Well, Uzumaki." He replies. "I know someone who's dying to see you."

He changes directions, heading to the big red tower. I snuggle into his arms, hiding my face in his jacket. I don't to look anywhere and accidentally see more corpses. I listen as a door opens and the man walks up the stairs. There are some gasps and murmuring as we go, but I don't dare look. The man's gait smooths out, suggesting we reached the top of the stairs. He doesn't even knock before entering the Hokage office.

I manage to peel my face away and see what all the noise is. Minato sits at his desk, in mid argument with what I'd guess to be the elder council. Shikaku and Jiraiya stood to each side, listening in. All conversation dies as every head in the room turns to us. I look straight at Shikaku.

"Shikamaru and Chouji are at the hospital." I inform him. "We got caught between explosions."

From the paleness of his face I gather what I said didn't sound reassuring at all. He excuses himself quickly, thanking me as he goes. Minato had jumped to his feet at some point and made his way over. The man put me down and took a step back, but he didn't leave yet.

"What happened?! Are you okay?" Minato's expression was one of alarm. "Why aren't you at the hospital? You should have taken her to the hospital Ibiki." His hands flutter around me, as if afraid to hurt me but also wanting to physically check for injuries.

"I'm fine." I replied calmly, swatting at his hands. "I don't need a hospital."

"Nao-chan." He said aghast. "Your hands. Oh my god."

I glanced down at them, having forgotten in the chaos. They looked dreadful. Caked with dirt and dried blood. I was probably getting them infected by not sterilizing them.

"Huh." I muttered. "I forgot about that. I'm okay though, I'm good."

The man behind me chuckles, and I turn, glaring at him. This causes him to outright laugh, making me huff and look away. Then something registers in my mind. Minato called him Ibiki. As far as I know, there was only one Ibiki.

Morino Ibiki.

As in, the head of Torture and Interrogation.

Oh.

My.

God.

 _Oh my god._

I _stabbed_ the head of T &I.

With a _screw driver_.

Shit.

My internal panic is overridden by my complete exhaustion, and the numbness takes over once more. I steadily avoid Ibiki's gaze, shuffling toward Minato. I take a hold of his haori, tugging it gently.

"Can I stay here?" I ask, trying to keep the desperation out of my voice.

"I don't know Nao-chan… this isn't exactly a meeting for children to hear, you know?"

"Please?" I say softly. "Pretty please? I won't bother you, really. My ANBU are dead."

Minato's internal conflict is clear on his face. In all the time I've lived with him, I have never asked for a single thing. For the first time, I'm asking something of him, and I can tell he wants to give it. Right now, all I want is to curl up on that couch with the knowledge that someone strong like Minato is nearby.

I was not a trusting person by nature, but if there was one thing I was certain of, it was that he would protect me. I knew that he cared, and right now it was what I needed. I didn't want to go to the most likely empty manor, not knowing what was going on. The very thought made me shutter.

"Alright." Minato said. "You can stay. We're done here anyway."

It was a clear dismissal, and grudgingly the elder council stood, moving past us to the door. There were four of them, including the third hokage. I easily spotted Danzo, who I found staring holes into me. A chill went up my spine and I looked down as he left. Ibiki followed behind them, closing the door as he went.

There was just the three of us left, and I floated over to the sofa, taking my shoes off and curling into a ball. I eyed Jiraiya speculatively as Minato grabbed a chair, dragging it over to sit across from me. He gave me similar treatment, examining my dirty figure from head to toe.

"An angel of death" He declared suddenly. "That's what she reminds me of, covered in all that blood. Don't you agree Minato?"

I looked down at my ruined dress, and sure enough, it was more red than yellow. I imagined I looked awful, but I figured after everything, all the hell I went through, I was entitled to. I turned my gaze back to the Sannin.

"Nobody asked you."

He doesn't get offended, just chuckles like I said something cute.

"You'll fit right in." He takes a seat at the window.

"Nao-chan?" Minato says gently. "Do you think you can tell me what happened?"

I don't say anything for a minute, gathering my thoughts.

"We were sitting on a bench. Chouji, Shikamaru, and I. There was a pub behind us, that's where the ANBU were I suppose. In front of us was a fountain, with people sitting on it and children playing around it." My voice is flat as I continue. "Everything was fine, it was busy and there were a lot of people going about. Then suddenly everything exploded. When I woke up, I was alone. Almost everyone was dead, burned or crushed. There was screaming, but I couldn't hear right. My ears were ringing.

"I couldn't see my friends, so I picked a direction and started crawling through the wreckage. There was a lot of blood, and I didn't see anyone alive as I went, except for a man. He was on fire though. When I reached the end of the debris, I still hadn't found my friends. So I went back, going in the opposite direction. Eventually I found them, but Shika was stuck under a metal beam. We managed to dig him out though, and he was okay. They wanted to head for the mountain, but I said no.

"It was strange, that in the hour since the explosion no ninja had come by. I remembered last time two were waiting on the outskirts, and I didn't want to risk it. So I made us hide in one of the shops until help arrived. I accidentally stabbed Ibiki though. I thought he was an enemy."

The expression upon the men's faces was one of horrification. I assumed it was due to the detached, clinical way I reported my experience. I could hardly take it back now though. As the room descended into silence, I wondered where Kakashi was. I didn't believe for a second he could be dead. The man seemed like the definition of resilient. It was a wonder he hadn't been made my ANBU guard. Maybe he wasn't in it anymore though; I doubt Minato would be cool with exposing him long term to that kind of life.

"Oh." I voiced aloud. "I told you I think my ANBU are dead. I couldn't tell, the bodies were all charred and I didn't want to look. Also there was something strange, about the way everything exploded..."

"Er, it's okay Nao-chan." Minato replied. "Don't think about that alright?"

I nodded drowsily. My eyes were beginning to droop, but I didn't want to sleep yet. I needed to know what had happened. Minato noticed my struggle and sighed, pulling me onto his lap. I was too tired to resist, and he felt warm, safe. Before sleep could take me I reached a hand onto his shirt, causing him to look down at me.

"Kakashi." I mumble. "Is he okay?"

"Yes." Minato answered kindly. "Now, sleep Nao-chan."

I closed my eyes.

And drifted into unconsciousness.

* * *

A/N

This is the longest chapter I have ever written.

I can't seem to keep a chapter light hearted for the life of me, so I apologize in advance. The next chapter is going to be worse.

I hope you guys like psychological wounds and complete despair…

The bonding with the Namikazes has finally begun! Are we excited for more? I can already hear what you guys are thinking. You're thinking that Nao hates Minato and it's unrealistic that she would take comfort in him. Personally, I think it's the most believable thing in this chapter.

Nao just went through some crazy stuff; she's bound to crave any sort of human contact after being exposed to so much death. In the last invasion, she hadn't witnessed anyone dying, only heard about it. Hearing one thing and seeing it for yourself are two very different things. Minato is the kind of man that radiates power and safety; I can't even imagine Nao being able to resist such a thing at that point in time.

Thoughts? Questions?

Please Review!


	9. Chapter 9

A/N

Thank you guys for reviewing!

It gave me the inspiration to write another chapter so quickly.

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I own Nao. Kishimoto owns everything else.

* * *

 _Falling._

 _I was falling._

 _Air rushed around my form as I descended, tangling my hair, turning the long strands into whips cutting sharply across my face. For a moment there's nothing, noting apart from myself and the darkness; myself and the never ending fall. My stomach is a pit of dread, and breathlessly I scan the darkness, desperation curling in my veins. I was afraid, waiting in anticipation without knowing why._

 _That was when the screams began._

 _At first it's just one, then another and another. They flow together in a cacophony of bone chilling horror. Then I'm no longer falling, but standing alone in the void as the screeches and wails grow closer, gaining volume in desperation to be heard. They echo in the abyss, making it impossible to pinpoint their location. Panicking does me no good, so I focus on even breathing, trying to calm the rapid beating of my heart. All at once the screaming ceases, and from above something starts to drip._

 _A drop falls upon my head, followed by another. I reach my hand up to touch it as it slides down my temple. My fingers come away red. I look up as it starts to rain blood. There's a whooshing noise as something heavy cuts through the air and lands to my left with a sickening thump. Slowly, I glance towards the lump on the ground, taking in the humanoid shape. Silver hair, empty eye sockets with tear tracks of blood seeping down a partially masked face I know well._

 _Kakashi._

 _A shriek escapes me but it comes out silently. I try to speak, but hear no words. Another thump sounds behind me, and I snap my neck around. Kushina stands, looking down at a slab of concrete. Her mouth is open in a soundless scream. Blood drizzles down around us, but it is somehow different, distinguishable from the red spreading beneath the piece of concrete. I gaze down and see a little orange shoe peeking out._

 _I stumble backward, tripping in my haste to get away. I turn and run, before slipping on the glistening floor onto my hands and knees. A golden light in the dark catches my attention as it speeds toward me. I look up, thinking it may be a way out. Shikaku runs by me, entire form on fire. He cries out torturously, stopping to roll against the ground. It doesn't put the fire, and soon his movements slow, and he becomes quiet._

 _My shoulders shake in muted sobs. I keep moving, frantic to get away. I slip, tumbling in a downward slope. I dig my hands into the ground, halting my fall. Something grasps my ankle, and I jerk around. Minato lies before me, the left half of his body burned beyond recognition. His left eyelid and lips are gone, curling his mouth into a snarl. What is left of his golden hair is singed._

" _Nao... please…." He begged in a raspy voice. "It hurts… so much… please… make it stop."_

" _How?" I asked through my weeping._

 _His grip on me slackens, and his eyes stare off unseeing. I moan and cover my face, crawling away. It has stopped raining, but the ground is slick. I slide down until the terrain evens out. When I open my eyes, I'm faced with a pile of bodies._

" _No, no no no."_

 _Shikamaru, gaze skyward and missing his jaw; the front of him covered in drying blood. Chouji, limbless. Bits of flesh hang off him, like someone took a hatchet to him. Yoshino, face down. Intestines spill out where she's missing her lower half._

 _Screams of horror overcome me._

* * *

A loud smack echoes through the room. My cheek stings and I blink, once, twice, returning to reality. A face hovers over mine, one eye black, and the other red. I cringe for a second, before the face becomes familiar. Kakashi is leaning over me, gaze filled with concern. He pats my cheek comfortingly, moving back as I sit up.

We're in my bedroom. Naruto, Kushina, and Minato stand around my bed. The curtains are closed, and no light filters in, so it must be night time. My hurried, panicked breaths are the only thing breaking the silence. I try to calm my breathing, holding my hands against my racing heart. They make a crinkly sound and I look down to see them wrapped in bandages.

"What's going on?" I ask no one in particular.

"You were screaming, Usagi-chan." Kakashi answers.

"I was?" I thought I couldn't scream.

"Yeah, you must have had a nightmare."

From the looks on everyone's faces, I had screamed pretty loudly. If I had managed to wake up Minato and Kushina, who slept on the other side of the manor, then I'd say so. I didn't remember returning from the Hokage tower or getting into bed, so Minato must have carried me back and tucked me in rather than waking me up. Naruto gazed at me with big, terrified eyes, and a pang of guilt with through me. I had really scared him.

"I'm sorry-"

A deafening boom sounded, and the manor shook. Everyone stiffened at the same time, and I choked on the rest of my words. A malicious chakra had appeared near the village, and it was suffocating even from here. All at once, the adults leapt into action. Minato disappeared in a flash, and Kushina yelled at Kakashi to watch Naruto and I before sprinting away as well.

Naruto started tearing up as we heard Konoha thrown into chaos. The alarms sounded and Kakashi dragged Naruto onto his back while cradled me in his arms, before speeding down the stairs, and I clung to him. He was still in uniform, and vaguely I wondered what he had been doing here so late. The front door was wide open but Kakashi turned away, heading toward the back. We just made it through the door when he came to an abrupt halt.

In a puddle of blood on the floor laid Haruka, her throat slit. Yumi was standing over her, a gleeful expression upon her face. She wore black combat clothes, a weapon pouch at her side and a sheath across her back. In her hand was a katana, the edge dripping red. She looked up at us standing in the door frame, and a bubbly laugh erupted from her.

"Oh dear." Her voice was soft, melodic as she placed a palm to her cheek. "Whatever do you think you're doing? I can't allow you to leave with those children. No no no… that won't do at all."

Suddenly she's three feet from us, swinging her sword at Kakashi's head. He ducks, sweeping out to kick her legs from under her. Yumi jumps, twisting backward and back springing off the floor to create distance. A giggle escapes her.

"A challenge. I love challenges, they're a bit like games. Do you want to play?"

A cloud of smoke explodes around us as Kakashi makes shadow clones. He passes us off to one while the smoke screens us. Three of him, including the original one, charge and engage her in battle. Another deafening boom sounds from somewhere in the village and the ground vibrates from the force. Our clone uses the distraction to escape out the front door.

We take off into the forest once we reach the gate of the estate. Wind whips past us as Kakashi moves full speed ahead. Instead of going straight toward the mountain we run parallel to it, and distantly I wonder whether it's even a safe place, considering I never seem to make it there. As we proceed through the trees of the village I hear the clash of metal against metal, and some screams. I turn and watch a burst of fire catch in the trees behind us; I flinch violently and look away, shuttering. In mid jump between branches a kunai accelerates toward my face, so fast that I barely see it. Kakashi moves to cover me and the weapon sinks in with a disturbing squelch.

Our clone poofs away and we drop toward the ground, shouting. I land on my shoulder and pain flares through it. I lift my head in time to see a figure snatch an unconscious Naruto up and throw him over his shoulder, before turning to me. He wears a black cloak and a pale, porcelain mask; through the slits his right eye seems to glow red, even in the dark. I back away but it does little good, because in the next moment I'm in his other arm, restrained against him in a tight grip.

My hands were pinned, and I kicked out in an attempt to get the man to drop me. It only results in him squeezing my injured shoulder, making me yelp. After that a combination of fear and shock keeps me still in the man's arm. The throbbing of my shoulder feels distant, and I find myself unable to process much in the current state of events. A second attack, so soon after the last and here I was right in the middle of it all; and as if that wasn't enough, I had yet another rookie-nine member to share the experience with.

Just like the last two times.

The man brings us out of the village walls, further and further from the sounds of fighting. I look over his shoulder as we move, needing to know what was happening. My heart briefly stooped as I took in the enormous monster towered at the opposite side of the village. It was larger than any creature I had ever seen, unbelievable in its magnitude. The monster was tall as the Hokage Mountain, with spiked, stone colored armor in the form of a shell. It's eyes were crimson, full of malevolent intent easily seen from even this distance.

It was wrath, here to kill us all, and we were mere insects compared to it.

But hope was not yet to be abandoned, for the monster was not alone. It faced a formidable foe in the form of an equally behemoth creature, a rust colored toad wielding a blade. It was then I remembered Jiraiya's presence in Konoha; surely with him here, we were saved. Minato alone had given his life to stop the Nine tails and save the village, but these were different circumstances. We had one of the Sannin on our side, the legendary toad sage and the monster before them swung only three armored tails.

A tailed beast was nothing to scoff at, but neither were the shinobi of Konohagakure.

We had a Sannin, the Yellow Flash, and the god damn Professor of Shinobi.

Konoha would live to tell this tale.

Gamabunta charged at the monster, shoving it back and creating distance between their fight and the village. The monster's tails whipped about, as though swatting something away. Though it was too far to tell, I imagined it was Minato flitting about the beast, searching for any weak spots in the shell armor while Jiraiya sat upon his summon's head, providing distraction. Perhaps Kushina was there as well, preparing chakra chains to hold the monster down long enough for something to be done about it.

I didn't get the chance to see what would happen next though, as the man jumped down from the trees and the battle was lost from sight. We had landed in a large, empty clearing before our captor set us down. He never let go, instead shifting the two of us in front of him as a sort of makeshift shield. I watched him, aware of every breath he took, every twitch or shift in his stance and posture. He stared ahead in the direction we had come from, waiting for something.

Naruto's shoulder was pressed against my injured one, and I could feel the shivers that racked his body. He was completely silent, in a way I had never seen before and I couldn't help glancing over at him, to assess his state. He was pale, eyes wide and unseeing. There was a bit of blood on the left side of his head from where he had fallen from the trees and had been knocked unconscious. It was good that he was awake now, and not in a coma; the fall had been high, at least twenty feet. There was a tremor to his hands, his breathing quiet, and expression empty.

It did not fit with my image of Naruto, the sunshine boy that made the world spin and could bounce back from anything. It was so easy to forget that this Naruto was different though; he hadn't grow up being resented for his existence, he was Namikaze Naruto and he had always known love and joy and affection. He had never truly been exposed to the cruelties of this world, had never suffered or felt terror. Namikaze Naruto was an innocent little boy, and for the first time in his short life he was experiencing the hellish future that awaited him.

It was an unnerving thing to see.

He was so small, a teeny little thing; practically a baby. He would not bounce back from this so easily, and it was idiotic that I had somehow expected him to. He was not a loudmouthed, boisterous kid with a thick head, unwavering determination, and a heart of gold. Naruto was a six year old boy, terrified beyond belief in a waking nightmare where his parents were gone and no one was coming to save him. Somehow, this was different from Sasuke; he had been scared, yes, but there had been a fire, a will to live to see another day in him.

Naruto's world had just been shattered.

Suddenly something cold and sharp was pressed to my throat. From the jolt beside me I gathered Naruto was in a similar position. I did not have time to think about my options, whether this man meant to kill us or if he had more sinister ideas in mind, because not three seconds later a rustle sounded from the trees and Kushina angrily broke through them with a roar. She shook with clear rage, red hair whipping demonically around her, eyes crimson, pupils slit. Her canines were sharp, exposed in her snarl as she dissected the situation, the knives to our throats and the man holding them.

"A step closer and I spill all their blood." The man hummed. It was clear she was working to stay in control, and the man's easy going attitude did nothing to help. He did not openly taunt her, and part of me suspected he would not be stupid enough to. Despite his calm persona, I could sense the caution coiled in him, not quite hidden by the alert, anticipation of his body.

"Those are _my kids_." Kushina hissed. " _How dare you put your filthy hands on them_."

"You can have them back, almost good as new." He replied amiably. "For a price."

Kushina stilled, paling and the man laughed.

"You already know what that price is, don't you?" It had all been strictly business, before, but this seemed to amuse him. "Let's make a deal then, shall we? Release the Kyubi, and I will let your children go. I have no use for them, after all; they'd only be in the way, so if I can get rid of them without having to make a mess than I'd prefer to do so."

I believed him, too.

Naruto and I were nothing to him, he had let us fall from that tree when he likely could have caught us, because ultimately our physical state did not matter to him beyond alive. There had been no care taken with us, and no actual bloodlust; he didn't particularly want to kill us but given the incentive, he would. By now Kushina was all but vibrating with tension, expression full of anguish at the state of things. Naruto had begun crying silently, and without looking I reached for his hand, intertwining out fingers.

Kushina's eyes followed the movement, before her gaze met mine. I smiled blandly at her, unable to conjure anything reassuring. The situation had escalated, far beyond anything I had imagined and given our options I had little hope for getting out of this alright. If the Kyubi was released on the village, Konoha would undoubtedly fall. If I was being honest, I didn't particularly care if the village went under; as long as I was out of this man's reach I had a fair chance of survival.

My friends, however, would never make it out alive.

They would die if Konoha was forced to face two tailed beasts, and in the back of my mind I could see the broken, mangled corpses of my boys. I would never forgive Kushina if she gave into the man's demands; I would spend the rest of my life hunting her down. I would not be able to live with the knowledge that I'd had a hand in the deaths of the people I cared for.

"So what will it be then? Your village, or your children?" As if to make his point, he presses the blades down deeper, just breaking through the skin. Naruto yelps, struggling briefly. He stops when it makes the pain worse. Our hands are no longer together, and a sob escapes him.

I can see Kushina breaking as she watches us, her determination weakening with each second. I don't blame her, she's being force to watch a man hold a blade to her baby's throat; her terrified little boy. So I understand, but I can't allow her to give in. The loss of life that will come with the Kyubi's release is something I will not stand for. The deaths from my dream flash through my mind, and my resolve strengthens.

Unacceptable.

With speed I didn't know I had, my hand flies up and slides between Naruto's throat and the blade. Chakra gives me the edge I need as I _twist_ and the man is forced to let go. The blade at my throat is pressing harder, drawing more blood but the man hesitates to finish me, and lose one of his bargaining chips. In the end that's what does him in, because I am not like him, more than anyone I see the ending to this story if he is allowed to continue. It is not a game or a carefully planned out strategy, it is Do Or Die and there is no hesitation in me.

There will be no second chances.

I _push_ against the blade to my throat, let it slice deeper and earn the man's surprise. He has one hand on Naruto still, and the other to my neck, at once trying to stop my insanity and keep ahold of his other prisoner, which is why he is a second late to stop me from running the blade in my hand into his gut. Its an instinctual reaction, the way his free hand leaves Naruto in order to stop me from digging in further. To his credit the man doesn't do more than grunt in pain. Naruto is free though, and with minimal wiggle room the best I can do is kick him out of reach.

It all happens in the span of a few short seconds, and the only reason it works is because no one is able to anticipate it. I have once again been underestimated, and as Kushina flashes forward to retrieve her son I find myself strangely at peace with this. Shikamaru and Chouji might not make it through the night, but their chances at survival were optimistic now; they would live to see another day.

I don't have the energy to place the plethora of emotions that grace Kushina's face as she looks at me. The satisfaction and peace is gone from me as the man pulls the blade from his gut and drops it, seemingly unaffected by the gaping wound in his torso. A hand snags my hair, pulling tightly to further expose my throat and force my gaze skyward. My hands begin to shake, a strangled sound catching in my throat as I acknowledge the anger radiating from the man.

I begin to unravel.

"Are you happy now, _little_ _hero_?" The man snarled in my ear, pulling tighter on my hair. "Didn't think that through did you? The boy's gone, but you're still here. And for what? I still have the famous Namikaze princess as leverage."

Something in me snaps at the knowledge that I'm going to die here. In my mind, I see how it will play out. Kushina will deny him when the man demands she release the Kyubi. She'll escape with Naruto, and he'll cut my throat in retaliation. Against my will a shrill laugh breaks through me. It's a half crazed sound, and I can tell it's not what the man expected, but I really can't help it.

The irony here is too much.

In my first life, I had committed suicide.

Now that I had a second chance, I wanted to live, very badly; to the point where I had been ready to abandon a six year old in order to increase my chances. I had come to regret the decision to take my life, and this time more than anything I wanted to live my life to the very fullest, no matter what. Yet here I was, about to have it reaped from me far too soon, for _saving_ a six year old. I was going to die by the hands of a wannabe Tobi, because I cared a little too much.

Because I hadn't been selfish enough.

Dying the first time had been a choice, and it had been taken from me when I'd been reincarnated. Living in this world had been another choice, and like the last it was once again being taken from me, and I was so _sick of it_. I couldn't stand it, how this place kept limiting me, time after time as though I was somehow supposed to cope with it. I did not choose to be Uzumaki Nao, to have a target on my back and forced to train in secret, tip toe around this village that seemed so keen to chain me up and make me their own.

I was unraveling, and there was something dark rising to the surface. In the distance, a chakra signature I vaguely recognized was approaching at break-neck speed. It didn't matter though, nothing mattered expect the man behind me and the insatiable need to go out on my own terms. My laughter died down as I met the man's eyes through his porcelain mask.

"Leverage?" I coo softly, manic grin spreading. "Is that where you think this is heading? The only one with something to lose here, is you."

Rin bursts through the tree line, skidding to a halt beside Kushina. The man's grip on my hair loosens ever so slightly with the new distraction. Maybe he didn't plan on killing his only hostage, and maybe with Rin here there was a chance for my escape, but I was beyond such things now. I was hateful, and vindictive, and I would not have another choice taken from me. I yank forward, pressing into the blade once more. It makes another cut, deeper than before, but the man seemed ready for me this time; he pulls me back by my hair painfully.

Exactly as I wanted him to.

"You're psychotic, you know that?" The man growled.

Maybe I was. It had been a hard couple of months, to be fair. I was too busy ramming the back of my head into his injured stomach to reply though. This elicited another pained grunt, but not much else. Though Naruto and Rin had disappeared unnoticed, for some reason Kushina had remained. She was clearly unsettled, glancing at me with an expression bordering on heart-break yet unwilling to just leave. This didn't involve her any longer, and I was annoyed she lingered.

"What, you're still here?" I snapped at her. "City's burning, get going already!"

The man put a hand over my mouth, covering it. It didn't matter though; I had said what I needed to say. Nothing seemed to be going the man's way, and I could feel his frustration as his patience wore thin. He moved the blade to my temple, his other hand still in my hair.

"I'm not going to repeat myself again. Release the Kyubi or watch her die." He slid the blade down until it was pointed at my side. "Here's some incentive."

With that, he pushed it into my side. An agonizing scream ripped through the air before I could even try to hold it in. Another followed as he pulled the blade out, and fresh tears streamed down my face. Oh god, he was going to torture me first. Kushina was crying, holding a hand over her mouth, but she didn't move. I was seething with rage.

"No? Let's try again then." The blade slid in an inch under my belly button in one smooth motion. I screamed again. I'd never felt this much pain before, and my legs threatened to buckle beneath me. My vision grew tunnel like, making me struggle to stay awake and on my feet; I was afraid to pass out from the pain and never wake up again. The blade hovered over my right eye. Looking at it, only about an inch and a half was bloody. He knew what he was doing, not going deep enough to make any of the cuts immediately fatal.

"Go on then." I half-laughed to him, anger replacing fear.

The choice would never be mine.

"STOP!" Kushina screeched. "No more! Please!"

I didn't catch what the man said, because at that point I lost my fight and unconsciousness took me.

* * *

The pain didn't let me drift for long.

Soon I was seeping into awareness, slowly and then all at once. I was lying face down on the grass, and everything hurt. The air was thick with malice, making it difficult to breathe or think. My body felt heavy, and I forced my head to rise. I blinked as my vision blurred and refocused. A few yards across from me Kushina was sprawled on her back on the ground. She was so still, I couldn't tell if she was breathing.

I struggled against the pain, dragging myself to her side before examining her. The slight rise and fall of Kushina's chest was definitely a good sign but she looked haggard and unhealthily pale; I had to wonder how long it had been since I fainted. A thundering noise came from behind us and the ground shook. I got to my knees and turned, subconsciously knowing what I would see.

The massive form of the Nine Tails loomed above us even from the other side of the clearing. It let out a powerful roar, and its eyes were spinning with the sharingan. It was being controlled. The masked man stood atop the beast, but they did not move toward the village as I assumed they would. I didn't understand until I spotted a mane of white hair holding them off.

Jiraiya stood in their path, a frog on each shoulder. He was in sage mode and on the offensive. There was something wrong with the Kyubi. Its tails were all flat against the ground, as if pinned. There was a flash of yellow darting around the beast, and I watched as it jumped on it, heading toward the head.

Minato had arrived to save the day, I supposed. If he was here, that meant they had taken care of the other tailed beast. There was no relief in me at that thought. There was a sense of betrayal, because I was alive and the fucking Kyubi was on the loose. After that was an empty pit of nothing. My eye lids were heavy, and though I was sure I had only close them for a moment, when I reopened them the fight was over. Moving was entirely out of the question, so I laid where I was, no longer feeling any pain.

Minato hovered over me, tears falling down his face and dripping onto mine. "Oh Kami. I'm sorry. I'm sorry Nao-chan. I can fix this, I can. I'm so sorry." He continued to babble.

I didn't know what he was sorry for, time was slipping out of my hands, and I missed some things. Words drifted to me.

"The child won't live long if we don't hurry. She'll never make it out of surgery Minato, not in her condition. It's the only way."

The only way… I blink again, except this time I don't manage to open my eyes. Numbness creeps through me, and I'm thankful. Nothing hurts anymore, and despite knowing how bad that is I can't bring myself to care. I was tired. Distantly, I hear Jiraiya and Minato talking, but I can't quite make out the words; only the distress behind them.

Then blinding pain, worse than anything I could ever imagine, takes hold of me. I scream and thrash, silently begging someone, anyone, to please _please kill me. What's going on?_ _Why is this happening to me? No more, oh god no no no, someone just put me out of my misery._ _It's too much; all I want is for it to stop, to be over._

And then suddenly it is.

All that's left is sweet nothing.

* * *

I'm standing in what looks like a sewer. The floor is thinly lined with water, and the light is dim. For the life of me I can't recall how I came to be here when I was just lying on the grassy earth. I remember the pain and a terrible thought dawns. Maybe this is what death looks like. Was I a terrible enough person that I landed in purgatory? Is this the price one pays for a second life? A strange scraping sounds from behind me, and I turn to locate the noise.

In front of me is the largest gate I have ever seen. I tilt my head up and in the distance I think I can see the top. An exit then? I didn't have the strength to open a gate that big though. Something about it stirs at my memory, and I feel uneasy. I don't approach it, my instincts telling me to flee. Two huge red eyes appear behind the gate, glowing ominously in the dark. Warning bells noise in the back of my mind, along with a voice that says to back away from the thing in the shadows, but I stay perfectly still.

I've seen those eyes before.

"Who are you?" I whisper.

"I think you know exactly who I am." It replied, tone deep.

I don't understand what's going on, because this was all wrong. Surely Minato didn't do what I think he did. He wouldn't be so cruel, would he? I start hyperventilating as my mind goes through the facts. The Kyubi was released. Kushina was half dead. We won against the masked man. Minato was talking to me, but I couldn't remember what he was saying; he had been crying.

My hands are shaking, from anger or despair or betrayal I don't know. They sealed the Kyubi into me. They made me a Jinchuriki. Shackling me to Konoha, like an animal. All at once my will to live is revived. How could they?

How _dare_ they?

Did they think this would somehow be explainable to me? That I would understand and _bend_ to Konoha's will? I was not a puppy that could be kicked and would come crawling back for forgiveness. I would not be objectified and used as a weapon for war.

I would be free.

A tiny voice whispered that maybe this was some kind of mistake, that I was missing something and that Minato would never be so cruel. Kushina had died, Naruto was gone and in order to save the village they'd had no other choice. A dead Kushina popped into my head, and my stomach churned uncomfortably at the thought of her cold and stiff, pale with death. She was so fiery, so full of life it simply didn't fit. Minato had been crying though, so perhaps it was true.

Another thought dawns on me.

How was the Kyubi released? I had both eyes intact, but did that mean Kushina willingly released it? It didn't seem possible that she would choose to save me and risk the village. I wasn't special, I wasn't loved liked Naruto was or Minato. She would not risk their lives to save mine; I was no one. So then how? Irritation overwhelms any other emotions.

"Come closer, little human. Let's get a look at you." It persuades.

The enmity practically pours from the beast. Instead of being scared though, I'm amused; did it really think I would fall for that and just wander up close enough for it to reach? I laugh, surprising the Kyubi.

"Are you not afraid?" It asks.

"What do I have to fear?" I reply. "You are in there, and I am out here."

It growls, barring its teeth. I sit down closer to the gate, examining it. In truth, it's a cage, and for a moment I wonder how long it's been in there. Or he, I suppose. It would have been a very long time, almost a hundred years I'd guess. I try to imagine what that would be like, living as a prisoner in such a depressing place for so many years. My heart twists in disgust. The nine tails was a being with cognitive thoughts and feelings. How was this any better than caging up a human? He even had a name, a family. I tried to remember what it was, but it'd been a long time since I'd watched the series.

"Your name," I blurt suddenly. "What's your name? Mine is Nao."

The nine tails seems taken aback at my question. He narrows his eyes at me. "What makes you think I have one?"

"Well, why wouldn't you?"

For a moment he says nothing. I wonder if I've crossed a line, but it's a bit late to worry if I did. "Humans are not worthy to know my name; they are all the same. I have seen into your heart. You do not have what it takes to wield my power. You are weak, nothing more than a mere fragment of my hatred!"

"Oh?" I say, feeling vaguely offended. "Did I ask for your power? Hmm? Do you think I wanted any of this? I don't need anything you could offer me. I will make my own way in life, of my own power; not yours."

I turn, facing away from the cage. Sassing a demon was never a good idea, but I knew what the Kyubi's power was like and there was no way in hell I'd be going down that path. If I could figure out how to get out of here I was going to have a _talk_ with Minato; surely he was not stupid enough to do this to me without great cause. As soon as I left this creep place I would get to find out.

As I glanced about, I was hesitant to think of this place as my mindscape; it was dreary, depressing and I hadn't ever considered myself to be that gloomy. Then there was the fact that if this was my mind, where I only ever thought in English, then the Kyubi shouldn't have been able to understand me. Any access he had to my memories would be useless if he didn't understand most of what he was seeing.

How interesting.

And completely pointless right now.

I concentrate on leaving. For a while I try meditating, imagining a door that would take me out of here. It doesn't work and I give up after an hour. I sprawl onto my back, relaxing. My mind wanders for a bit before going over everything. Konoha had been attacked twice in one day it seemed. Why did I have to live in the village with so many enemies? Was it lucky that I was still alive, or unlucky since I kept finding myself in such shitty situations?

On one hand, I had survived a series of explosions, a hostage situation, _and_ getting a malevolent nine tailed beast sealed within me. On the other, I'd been kidnapped yet again, had almost _died_ several times, and got turned into a Jinchuriki by someone I thought I might be able to trust. Looking back, I ponder if the next time I heard an explosion it would affect me. If I ahd been anyone else, the answer probably would have been yes. As it stood though, I was me, and as much as I avoiding thinking about it, and pretended otherwise, things like explosions weren't all that foreign to me.

But I wasn't thinking about that.

Instead, my mind was on the murderous maid, Yumi.

We'd have to have a funeral for Haruka now; Naruto would be upset… and also traumatized. Finding one of your maids dead in a pool of her own blood probably does that to children; it also didn't help the _other_ maid was the one that had killed her. It was a shame that Haruka had gotten caught up in this mess, costing her life. I sincerely hoped Kakashi had kept Yumi alive; bitch deserved a one way ticket to T &I.

Speaking of him, somehow it felt like he was here. I could sense his chakra nearby, but that didn't seem possible; I was in my mindscape. Now that I thought about it, I'd be pretty worried if he ever managed to get in here. My head was a dangerous place to be, especially with my new "friend". It'd all be catastrophic to say the least. I sighed and opened my eyes, expecting to see my dark sewer.

Instead, I found myself staring into a white ceiling. I blinked a couple times, waiting for the image to change. It didn't though, so I turned my gaze to my left. Kakashi sat in a chair next to my hospital bed, snoozing. The room I currently occupied was different from the last one I'd been in. It belonged to the secure wing, which I had glimpsed during an escape attempt months prior.

I wasn't tied down to the bed or hooked up to any machines, and I took that as a good sign. On a side table to my right were two vases, filled to capacity with flowers. The window behind it shined light into the room, but I couldn't see anything other than the sky from my position and I grew curious. How much damage had Konoha taken? Kakashi was awake the moment I sat up, startling me. Our gazes met, and he looked at me warily. For some reason, this instantly irked me.

What did he think I was going to do?

Eat him?

"What's your problem, Bakashi?" I said, eyeing him. "Haven't you ever seen a super Jinchuriki princess before?"

When in doubt, use sarcasm.

Kakashi sputters at my blasé attitude and I use the distraction to hop out of bed. For someone who was stabbed, I felt pretty good; a side effect of the Kyubi no doubt, insta-healing or whatever. I walk to the door only to find my companion blocking it. I glared up at him, attempting to intimidate him into moving aside. It doesn't work of course, because why would _anything_ go my way? Bakashi clears his throat.

"Where do you think you're going?" He inquires.

"To kick the crap out of Minato. His sensei too, if he's around."

"… Right, I'll go get him then."

"You do that." I retorted. "Oh, and while you're at it, bring me some clothes, yeah? I'm getting real sick of hospital gowns."

He leaves, and with nothing better to do I crawl back onto my bed and wait. The more time that went by, the angrier I became. I had done everything within my power to stop the Kyubi from being released, and it had all been for nothing. All I wanted was to be free to make my own decisions; as a Jinchuriki, my fate was all but sealed. I would go to the academy and be a good girl, or the village would lock me up and throw away the key. I could be a stubborn, disobedient child, but not a stubborn, disobedient Jinchuriki.

Konoha had become a far more dangerous place.

But people would also fear me. Maybe I could use this to my advantage. When I eventually leave the village now, they'll try to hunt me down for certain; losing the Nine Tails would be a disaster. I had to be formidable, intimidating enough that the world would be hesitant to try me. I didn't think I would ever be able to defeat Minato, with his teleportation and strategic mind, but as long as he was Hokage chasing me himself would be impossible.

Everyone else I had confidence I could handle, I'd take anyone over Minato.

That didn't mean I okay with it though.

The door opened, and Minato peered his head around before he was shoved in. Kushina and Kakashi followed after, closing the door behind them. I stilled, stomach heavy; she was alive, on two feet and looking as though someone had taken a steam roller to her, but alive nonetheless. A laugh escaped me, short and empty as I waved them all in. They followed hesitantly, Minato taking the lead and stopping at the foot of my bed. When he was beside me I whipped my pillow from behind me and started beating him with it.

"You. Complete. Jackass." I spat, striking him with each word. He scrambled away and I sprung after him. "Who do you think you are, sealing things into me without my permission?"

He evaded me with ease, only further my anger.

"I know you're angry, and you have every right to be," Minato began, holding his hands out in a placating gesture. "but if you would just let me-"

"Put a sock in it." I interjected, chucking my pillow his way. "I don't want to hear your explanations, I want to smother you, _bastard_."

The last word came out in English as he dodged my pillow. I lunged at him, only to be caught around the waist by Kakashi. I struggle against him while simultaneously trying not to hurt him; it was not his fault the village's demonic pet had been sealed into me. Minato retreats to the other side of the room, where his wife stands. Kakashi doesn't let go, instead he walks over to the bed and sits with his legs crossed and me in his lap. My gaze never leaves Minato.

Something in me hardens, and my anger deflates.

It withers away to make room for the other emotions like betrayal, grief, and disappointment. Unsettling, because it meant that I had let my guard down and at some point vested trust into this man. He wasn't evil, or malevolent; he cared about Konoha deeply, had fought to protect it and he had won. Minato wasn't a bad person, and somehow I had translated that into meaning he could be counted on. It was my own damn fault.

"This is good." Kushina voices suddenly. "She was able to lose her temper without letting the Kyubi manipulate her. It's progress, at least."

"Of course I could." I snapped. "What do you take me for?"

"Ah, sorry Nao-chan. I didn't mean any offense." Kushina said. "Why don't we all sit down, we have some things to discuss."

Kakashi pats my head comfortingly as the Namikaze couple takes a seat. When no one says anything I scrunch my nose in annoyance.

"So?" I prompt.

"The first thing you need to understand is that everyone is going to want the power you have." Minato began. "This means you need to learn to defend yourself, and control the Kyubi. You'll need special tutoring with Kushina, and we'll get you signed up for the academy. We wi-" He continued on but I wasn't listening anymore.

It hadn't been a question.

I would go to the academy, whether I wanted to or not. People would come after me whether I wanted them to or not. These were two undeniable facts. Still, I shake my head no, unable to give in without some kind of fight.

"I know you don't want to go." Kushina said. "But if you don't you'll have a harder time domineering the demon and fighting off potential kidnappers. It's too much of a risk if you don't go."

"Well then maybe you people should have thought twice before shoving a tailed beast into me. I don't particularly care about whether I'm a risk or not; I'm still not going."

"Nao-chan…" Minato paused. "I respect your feelings, but you might not have a choice. The elder council is already demanding you enroll. Some of them want you in a special program even. There's only so much I can do to hold them off."

Silence descends as I process this. Already these people are trying to reign over my life. Thinking they can train me to sit and heel like a dog. My hands shake with anger. Did they think I would _obey_? Play the part and become a good little Kunoichi? Because they were mistaken; I'd _bury_ anyone who'd dare try. Then something Minato said echoes in my mind.

Special program.

That positively reeked of Danzo. What would he do if word got back to him that I was refusing to go to the academy? What lengths would he go to in order to have me in the palm of his hand? Minato could protect me for only so long, and he wasn't omnipotent; at some point Danzo would find a way to me and I would disappear if I wasn't careful. I could not be seen as a flight risk to him, I was not loyal like Naruto and I didn't not have roots to hold me to this village like Kushina.

Danzo would come for me if I didn't enter the academy, and he would find a way to either subjugate me or eliminate me. The academy would provide me with a small window of safety, six years. Minato's protection would not be enough after that, and I needed to be ready by then.

Danzo was someone to be feared.

I could fight this, deny the academy and the shinobi way with all my might, but it would mean gambling my freedom, my life. I hated the elder council's audacity, and one day I would ruin them for forcing my hand.

"What were you saying?" I asked Minato.

"Ah," He shifted. "Well, along with your extra training, you'll need new ANBU guards. Your Jinchuriki status will be an S-ranked village secret, do you understand? No one can know and you can't tell anyone."

"I understand." I murmur stoically. "Am I allowed to leave now?"

"Er, yes." Kushina answered, getting up. "I'll go discharge you."

With that she left the room. The rest of us sat quietly, waiting. My eyes were on my feet and I could feel Minato's stare. I looked up and met his gaze, and whatever he saw there made him flinch.

"I don't forgive you." I tell him. "I don't know if I ever will; but I don't hate you. Hating you would take too much energy, and in the end the only person harmed would be me. Hate transforms you, mutates your soul; I won't become bitter and resentful because of your choices. It isn't worth it. So I won't hate you, but I also can't forgive you."

He doesn't say anything for a moment.

"That's fair." He admits. "I don't expect you to forgive me, because I did something horrible to you, without your consent. As Hokage, I had to make a difficult decision, one that affected you and for that I'm sorry."

Forgiveness was a long, long ways away; but I did understand. He didn't do it out of malicious intent, or selfish desire. He did it to save his village, and I could respect that. It was an answer I was satisfied with, even if I didn't like it. Minato's devotion to Konoha had always astounded me. He had sealed the Kyubi into his own newborn son to save his village.

He had died for Konoha.

I didn't think I would ever love a place that much. I was a nomad at heart; wandering is what I did best, and it had carried over into this life. The call of wanderlust is what drove me, and every month here it grew louder and louder. The three years I had been here were the longest I had ever stayed somewhere. I wondered how long it would last.

"Usagi-chan?" Kakashi said suddenly, apprehensively.

"Yeah?"

"… I forgot your clothes."

* * *

A/N

First off, I want to explain that Nao isn't going to be some over powered female Naruto. I really thought his strength in the anime/manga was ridiculous, and my Nao is not going to be like that.

What I believe makes Nao unique is her surprising ability to take action when under pressure. She didn't save Naruto because she cared about him, or because it was the right thing to do; those thoughts never even crossed her mind. Nao is capable of doing what needs to be done in order to save the ones she cares about. She's not selfless by any means.

I know some of you are going to have a problem with her going to the academy, and that's okay. But it's still going to happen, because it's unrealistic that Nao would be able to acquire the skills and strength she needs on her own.

We learned a bit more about Nao's past in this chapter. Let me know if it's something you guys are interested in.

Thoughts? Questions?

Please Review!


	10. Chapter 10

A/N

Thanks for all the reviews!

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I own Nao and that's it.

* * *

"You know, I always wanted a tattoo." I say aloud, examining the design on my stomach. "But somehow, this wasn't what I had in mind."

The Kyubi grunted in reply, his usual answer for anything I said.

"I mean, it's not that it's ugly or anything; it's even got my clan symbol on it, so that's kind of cool. I just hadn't pictured getting one unconscious and unwillingly, or having it come with a tailed beast. Those are the kind of things one might want to know about first."

"Yes, poor Hime. It must be very hard for you, being able to move freely of your own accord and having access to an immense power without even trying." The Kyubi replied sarcastically. "What could be worse? Oh, right; being in a cage for ninety years."

"… Right." I admit. "Sorry."

It was something that ate away at me, that he was a prisoner and I his jailor. Guilt pressed down on me each time I thought of it, so I had been trying to forget. It was yet another thing that kept me up at night. How had Kushina slept so easy, knowing she had the key to unlock his cell yet unwilling to use it? But maybe she didn't see it that way; to her, the Kyubi was just a monster. She didn't think about whether he had feelings or dreams.

"This is our fourth meeting." The Kyubi stated. "Yet you have told no one of our communication, not even your precious Kakashi. Why is that?"

"Because," I replied. "It's no one's business what I do. If any of them asked, I'd tell them of course, but I won't go out of my way to do so. Besides, I don't particularly react well to having my decisions taken away from me, and it could happen."

An understatement to say the least.

It had only been about a week since our acquaintance, but I had tried to come as much as possible. The Kyubi was someone I could confide in without fear of revealing anything sensitive. It was like having a diary; granted, it was a bitchy one that could talk back. Still, I was beginning to enjoy coming here. I didn't have to be careful of what I said or did, because it hardly mattered if he could tell how things about me didn't add up.

This dark sewer had become a sort of safe haven from the outside world. If I wanted, I could sit here in absolute silence and not be bothered. I was having a hard time with that in reality. I barely ever got a moment to myself nowadays. Everyone was up my ass, wanting to know _how I was feeling_ , or something equally obtuse.

The answer was always the same. I felt fine, no I was not hungry, yes I still wanted to skin Minato. Kushina was the worst, always hovering nearby. She appeared out of thin air every time I left my room, wanting to talk about my "duties" as a Jinchuriki, or giving me tips as how to deal with the Kyubi. As if she could be of any help there. I had simply started to never leave my room, just to avoid her.

"Ah, yes." The Kyubi hummed. "I recall a memory of you attempting to cut your own throat. Do not try anything like that again."

"Yeah, yeah. I die, you die. We're in this together and all that fun stuff."

Speaking of that, Kushina must have mentioned some worries about me being suicidal, because Minato was always watching me, like he was waiting for me to snap or something. He had told me that as Jinchuriki I would be getting my very own therapist, and I had been excited at reuniting with Lou. Instead though I ended up with a different Yamanaka; I guessed it was because Lou didn't have enough clearance.

My new therapist turned out to be Inoichi. I found this odd, because he was supposed to be a clan head and do whatever it is they do. Apparently the guy had some free time on his hands though. He came over twice a week for our sessions, and I had to wonder if he had told his teammates about my status. I had to assume he would, based on the fact that their children are close friends with me, and therefore in risk of danger. It was unprofessional, and probably illegal and also a violation of my rights, but I couldn't bring myself to care that much. Shikaku was a genius anyway, he'd figure it out on his own.

I hadn't bothered to even try seeing my friends after everything. I wanted to think if they found out they wouldn't care, but logically, they were just kids. I couldn't expect them to be so understanding at this age, especially after witnessing the tailed beasts during the last attack. In the series, they had been mere babies, unable to actually remember it. Things were different now, and I would be surprised if neither of them had been traumatized by the event.

Naruto certainly had been. He would ask if the monsters were coming back or not, with a distant gaze. He wasn't in the know about me, which was probably good. Just like before, Minato was claimed to have slayed the nine tails. The other had apparently gotten away, but secretly I pondered on whether he had taken the opportunity and sealed it in someone else.

I wouldn't put it past him.

Then again, maybe I was being biased. It wasn't like Minato was some heartless villain. His actions were a result of his will to protect Konoha after all. I knew this, but still I could help but feel a bit like an unwilling martyr, which pissed me off. Shit happens, and I had simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time, that's all. It could have just as easily been Naruto in my place.

Hell, maybe he had the Sanbi in him; I'd be the last to know if he did. It seemed a bit risky to me, for Konoha to have two tailed beasts. Then again, didn't Kumo have two as well? It had been such a long time, my memories were fading. I briefly contemplated writing it all down in a notebook, but as soon as the thought entered my mind I dismissed it.

That was literally asking for me to get caught.

The best course of action would be for me to go through the timeline of everything I knew each night before bed. It wasn't a perfect solution, but it was the best I could do. The human mind can be trained to remember certain things, like how children are taught songs repetitively to help with their learning process; I still can't go through the alphabet without singing it.

That process was called reflexive memory. While it was commonly used in my past life for children, here it seemed like something ninja would profit from far more greatly. A part of what makes reflexive memory so useful is that it's not restricted to mental facilities; it can also improve physical skills, and it's so easy to utilize. The key to successfully doing it was practice and repetition. That's it. All I had to do was make up a game to go with my timeline and do it every night before bed.

High school had accidentally taught me a life skill.

Astounding.

My gaze wandered to the Kyubi, who was laying with his head rested on his hands. It was such a bizarre sight, because while he was a fox, his upper body structure was distinctly human. He even had apposable thumbs. Distantly I wondered if all the tailed beasts had similar physical attributes. How unfair would it be if they didn't, unable to enjoy the small things we take of granted? What would life be like if we had all been born without thumbs?

Stupid question, really.

"What was it like? Before you got sealed?" I ask, trying to distract myself from inner madness. "What did you do all day?"

The Kyubi growled in annoyance. "You are more insufferable than my previous host."

"Hey! I resent that!" There was no way I was worse than Kushina.

"It's true." He scoffed. "She was perfectly happy leaving me be, but _you_? You want to _talk_. You are the most irritating, nosiest human I have ever had the misfortune of meeting."

"How rude, and I thought we were getting to be fabulous friends; besties, even. You continue to break my heart, Kyubi-chan."

He bared his canines at me. "Do _not_ refer to me in that way, insolent brat!"

"Well, maybe I wouldn't have to if you'd just tell me your name. How about this; if you tell me, then I'll go away for a week. Oh, and I won't be so nosy when I return."

I hoped he complied. I had spent a lot of time and effort trying to wear him down. Annoying others was a special talent of mine, and I figured not even the great nine tails was immune to my charms.

"I wish you would never return." He sighed exasperated.

"Sorry friend, but we're stuck with each other. Might as well make the most of it right? You know, I have lots of stories I could tell you. I haven't talked about myself yet, and maybe that's what's missing in our companionship. Communication is key to a healthy relationship, after all. So how about I –"

"You may call me Kurama-sama." He said venomously. "Now, away with you."

I laughed victoriously. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Ku-ra-ma!"

I opened my eyes, settling back into reality. I'd been sitting in a meditation position on my bed in the early dawn when I had entered my mindscape. Now the sun shone in brightly, high up in the sky. I estimated the time to be around twelve, and debated on whether I had the energy to deal with another family breakfast/lunch. I was hungry though, having forgotten to eat last night.

With a sigh, I rolled of the bed and dragged myself over to my wardrobe. Since I never left the manor anymore, I had taken to wearing pajamas all day. Today would have to be an exception though, because Inoichi would be coming over for another session. After our last two where I hadn't bothered to change, he had taken it upon himself to explain the benefits of wearing day clothes and the positive effect they had on the mental state, all while eyeing my jammies meaningfully.

I didn't need to give him any more reason to think I was depressed, so I threw on a bright pink dress. Maybe the color would blind him and I'd be able to cut our session short; doubtful, but a girl could dream. I didn't bother putting my hair into their standard pigtails.

It would take far too much effort.

I combed my fingers through my untangled hair as I made my way down the stairs and through the far door. I paused for a moment to stare at the new carpet in the wide hallway. They hadn't been able to get Haruka's blood out of the wood floor, so someone had gotten a new fluffy rug to cover the stain. I didn't like it; I felt like it was hiding what had happened, and Haruka didn't deserve that.

Her funeral had come and gone, with the entire manor's residents attending. Minato and Kushina had paid for everything, which was nice, and a lot of people had gone, offering condolences to her family. They had stood in the front, a man and two little girls. I had never thought she would be the type to have children, and it was awful that they would now have to grow up without their mother, knowing she had been murdered.

I walked around the rug, going straight through the open door into the kitchen. As per usual everyone sat at the table, eating a healthy meal. This time, the table was full though. Along with the usual crowd was Minato's sense. Naruto sat on Jiraiya's lap, babbling about something and waving his hands for emphasis while across from him Obito listened with an amused expression.

I froze for a moment. When he never showed up, I had assumed Jiraiya had taken off again. I knew for a fact that he had helped seal me that night. Minato hadn't been able to do it himself before; that's why he had been force to sacrifice his soul and split Kurama's chakra in two. I wasn't ready to deal with the other man responsible for my newly acquired status, not without becoming violent.

He must have felt my stare, because Jiraiya looked up and our gazes met. Something flashed through his eyes but I didn't get a chance to see what before his expression went completely blank. Neither of us looked away and in the back of my mind I wondered what he saw, looking at me. Someone cleared their throat.

"Good morning, Nao-chan." Minato chimed.

I broke the staring contest, my gaze sliding to Minato. Everyone was watching me now, and it made me agitated; I was not an exhibit at a museum. "It's afternoon." I muttered, turning away to find food.

On the counter were pancakes and bacon, but I ignored those. I went to the fridge, digging out an apple. Biting into it, I spun around, intending to leave the crowded area. Kakashi flickered into my path, blocking it.

"Why don't you eat with us today?" he asked.

"Pass."

"Why not?"

"There isn't enough room." I said, eyeing the full table.

"We can grab you another chair. Come have breakfast."

"I'd rather not…"

I was ignored of course. Kakashi picked me up around my middle and plopped me into his chair, before making another appear. People slid to make room, and I ended up squished between Kakashi and Obito. I sighed in defeat, taking another bite out of my apple. Naruto crawled into Rin's lap, still talking. There was a tug on my hair.

"No pig tails today then?" Bakashi asked.

"Nope."

"Well, at least you got dressed for once."

"What's wrong with pajamas?" I ask, feeling vaguely insulted. "They're comfy."

"They're not suitable to wear all the time."

"Alright, _mother_. So sorry to hurt your delicate sensibilities with my attire."

"So!" Kushina interrupted, sensing an argument. "How are you feeling today, Nao-chan? Having any trouble sleeping? I know I did when I first became a Jinchuriki, what with the change in chakra."

I looked over to Naruto, surprised she had mentioned it in front of him, only to find him and Rin gone. I knew the rest of team seven had been told, but it still felt strange talking about it in front of Obito. Somehow, I got the distinct feeling that I had walked right into an ambush.

"I'm fine." I respond reflexively.

I wasn't, of course. I didn't sleep well at night. Either from my guilt, or the foreign chakra, or the nightmares. I wouldn't tell any of them about it though; that's what Inoichi was for right?

Even if he doesn't seem to be helping.

"That's good." Minato says. "The academy starts next Monday, and I had you enrolled. We were thinking you might want to go shopping for a new outfit. Its tradition and Naruto already picked out his. We could go today if you want, after Inoichi's visit."

That's what everyone called it, a visit. Like Inoichi was just popping by for tea rather than checking on my mental state. Why couldn't they just say therapy session? It wasn't a dirty word; simply the truth. I wasn't so fragile that speaking the words would break me. How did I get stuck with them?

"I can take her." Kakashi offered.

"I'd rather go alone actually." I murmured, eyeing Kakashi. "Wouldn't want to hurt anyone's _delicate senses_."

Hatake Kakashi, copy ninja and fashion police extraordinaire.

"Really?" Minato faltered. "So you'll leave the manor? Willingly?"

"Yes."

God, you'd think I was a hermit or something.

"I'll just put everything on your hokage tab." I added thoughtfully.

"Right." He replied. "I'll have your new ANBU guard ready to escort at two."

Ah yes. I had forgotten about that in all the chaos. My previous guard had died in the explosion. It was sort of my fault, in a way; they never would have been there if they hadn't been guarding me. While I did feel slightly guilty, it was easy to overcome. I had never seen their faces or talked to them, it was like standing at a stranger's grave; sad that they died but in a distant sense.

Wait.

Escort?

"What do you mean by escort?"

"Well," He began. "Last time I had ordered them to stay in the shadows, and act if necessary. That didn't exactly work out now did it? So this time, I chose two that could easily blend in with you. They'll be undercover. Nao, I trust you to keep their identities as ANBU a secret. In return, they have been made aware of your situation and sworn to secrecy."

"How many people know about me anyway?" I ask. "It doesn't exactly seem like much of an S-rank secret since most of the people I've met already know."

"The elder council knows, of course." Minato said. "And the major clan heads. Everyone here, obviously, and your new guard. Only a handful of people really."

"Right."

It was a given that the council would know. I wasn't surprised that the clan heads were informed either; it was a smart move on Minato's part. One of them would have found out and then the rest would have as well, and they'd be angry about not knowing. It'd all be one big political disaster. On the bright side, Kurama never made it out of that clearing to kill people, so even if the whole village found out I had little to fear from them.

In the distance I felt Inoichi's chakra approach. When it grew close I sighed and stood up, shuffling out of the kitchen to greet him as he knocked on the door.

It was going to be a long day.

* * *

"So, the academy is starting soon, and you'll be beginning your first year. How do you feel about it?"

"I feel excited to meet new people. But what about you? How do you feel about your daughter starting? It's a big event for fathers after all, the first step to letting go."

"Excited? That's excellent; I think having peers will be good for you." He ignores me, as usual. "Have you been to see your friends since our last session?"

"No," I retorted. "I'm not planning to either. I think its best if I just keep my distance. I don't enjoy lying to them and we both know that right now, my status as a Jinchuriki isn't something they'll be able to understand."

"Ah. Well, I understand your view, but I still think you should reach out to them eventually." He says it consolingly but I can tell he's unsure. "They seem to be getting better, you know."

"I'm going out today." I tell him, changing the subject. "To buy my outfit for the academy. Apparently its tradition."

"Oh?"

"Yup. I'm thinking something bright, maybe yellow."

I wasn't actually, but the idea cheered me up. Kakashi would probably have a coronary.

"A happy color." He declared.

"Have you taken your daughter shopping for her outfit yet?"

A weary sigh confirms my thought.

"Don't look so bleak, Inoichi." I said comfortingly, and then added. "It's only the beginning. Wait until she starts wearing makeup, that's when it really starts going downhill. Oh, and soon she'll be talking about boys… yeah, never mind."

"How do our sessions always end up with us talking about Ino?"

"I don't know." I reply. "Maybe you're projecting your fears. It's kind of sad that a six year old is picking up on these things. You should talk to someone about that; a therapist, perhaps."

He gives me a look and I smile innocently, saying nothing. I didn't expect him to call me out on it anyway; I was lucky I could even keep up with him. He always steered us back to whatever topic we're discussing, but I was proud that I could manage to slip us off track in the first place.

"How are you sleeping?" He asked. "Still having nightmares?"

Yes, I was. Usually it revolved around dead people, ones I knew. A new one had emerged though, and I wasn't sure which nightmare I preferred anymore. This one always started with me running, then it would end with me in thick, heavy chains, being dragged under. Sometimes I would end up in a smaller version of Kurama's cage, surrounded by villagers. They would whisper and point at me, but for some reason they never had eyes. I knew Inoichi was here to help, but I really didn't want to talk about that.

"Oh, dear." I said, looking at my wrist. "The time just flies! Alas, I must be getting ready. My escorts will be arriving soon. Let's do this again some time."

I stand, pulling Inoichi to his feet. Or rather, he allows me to. I proceed to enter his personal space, herding him toward the door. "Sunday then, same time? Don't be late okay?" I sing, shoving him out the door. "Farewell!"

I shut the door, ignoring Inoichi's baffled expression. I still had half an hour until my guard arrived, but I wasn't sure I wanted to get presentable. My hair was a nest, and my clothes were crinkled. Kushina would probably tear my head off if I didn't bother to shower; which was fair I supposed, considering I looked like a raggedy Anne doll.

Groaning, I made my way upstairs and into the shower. Even with conditioner it took ten minutes to get the knots out. It had probably been pointless for me to dress for Inoichi; I hadn't fooled anyone really. Wrapping a towel around myself, I went through my clothes. Today would be the first time I'd be seen in public since the attack; a lot of eyes would be on me, the Namikaze princess whose "daddy" slayed the big bad demon.

It was gag worthy, to be sure.

I picked out a deep green dress and matching hair bows. It was a muted color, and something about it comforted me. I did everything at a snail's pace, trying to kill some time. When I was done and crawling back down the stairs a knock sounded at the door. I sped up to a normal walk, reaching the door and opening it with a polite expression.

Then I looked at the people stand on my doorstep and laughed once, before shutting it in their faces.

"Minato!" I called through the manor, raising my voice almost to a shriek to be heard.

"What?" He asked, appearing out of thin air and making me jump.

"There are some lost children at the door." I informed him, opening it and gesturing out.

Itachi stood on the front porch with some other kid who looked about fourteen. They both wore dark colored shirts and looked similar, making me assume the extra to be an Uchiha. It was strange seeing them there, sort of like seeing a dolphin walking on two legs; disturbing yet oddly fascinating. Honestly, I'd pretty much thought I would never cross paths with Itachi again.

I hadn't had any intention of seeing his baby brother after our last adventure, so I figured there would be no reason for us to. Now here he was, stoic expression and all. He'd even brought along a friend, one I suspected I knew. Shisui was the only other Uchiha I remembered being in ANBU, and it made sense that he would be paired with Itachi given their close relationship.

"Uh, Nao-chan?" Minato said, catching my attention. "These are your escorts."

"Oh. I see how it is." I narrowed my eyes. "You endanger my life and can't even be bothered to find me new ANBU guards? Is it because I got the last ones blown up? Because that was an accident. Well, no it wasn't, but I can't be held responsible for bad reflexes."

I can't exactly say that I know they're ANBU, there's no reason I should know that. Reacting believably is the key to any lie, and if I happen to give Minato a hard time while alarming my new guards, it's totally necessary. I keep my expression blank as Minato clears his throat.

"They are ANBU. Two of my very best, I promise. They'll be better protection, no one would expect it, you know?"

It was a poor excuse, but he knew I didn't actually care for one.

"If you insist." I hum, moving out the door. I pause, before adding. "Kakashi will be devastated when I tell him you said that."

I shut the door, not allowing him time to respond. I cackle internally, imagining his reaction. The boys follow behind me, and I prance out of the estate. Once we hit the streets I slow, turning to my unknown companion.

"So what's your name then?" I ask, peering up at him.

"Ah, I'm Uchiha Shisui." He says, smiling brightly.

It's a contagious kind, and I grin in return. "My name's Nao, but I suppose you already knew that."

"Are you kidding?" He laughs. "Who hasn't heard of the Namikaze princess? You're famous you know."

"Er, right." I didn't think I was _that_ famous, but whatever. I turned to Itachi, who walked on my other side. "I'd say it's nice to see you again, Itachi-chan, but I'm not really sure if it is yet. How's Sasuke?"

He twitches at the added honorific, but otherwise doesn't react.

A shame.

"Sasuke is well." He replies. "He has been eager to see you, but it appears he always just misses you when he goes to visit Naruto-kun."

I didn't know Sasuke was even coming over. Probably because I was never at the manor; this last week had been the longest I'd ever spent there, strangely enough.

"I see. Well, send him my regards." I pause. "And remind him that he owes me dango."

He didn't really, but Sasuke was a child; he'd think he had forgotten. I figured it was a fair deal, he'd get to see me and I'd get free food. A onetime thing of course, and a possible chance to get some dirt on Itachi.

As we approached the busy heart of Konoha my smile faded, and my mask went up. I held my chin up slightly and moved with grace, my back straight. The transformation happened between one step and the next, and I could see my companions taking note of the difference. Neither said anything about it, they simply took formation on each side of me, lagging back a bit to let me take the lead.

The road was bustling with activity, but like always my path was clear as people moved out of the way, some pausing in their activities to watch as we went by. I walked with purpose, wanting to get to the store and out of sight as soon as possible. Somehow, it felt worse than usual; maybe because I want different this time, with more secrets to hide.

I really was going to become a hermit if this continued.

"Kami." Shisui muttered. I looked over, and though he seemed relaxed, I figured he was unnerved by all the attention. He met my gaze. "Is it always like this?"

I laughed lightly at his tone. "This," I told him. "Is only part of it. Wait until we go eat."

We entered the clothing shop, and I felt my shoulders relaxing. The attendants must have remembered me from last time, because they all greeted me personally. After thoroughly denying their assistance, I wandered through the racks. I already had an idea of what I wanted, and it didn't take me long to throw an outfit together. A handful of long sleeved shirts, some shorts, and two pairs on ninja sandals were really all I needed.

I went to the back, where the accessories were. I did get some black ribbons, and a pretty ornate fan that was actually sharp enough to be a weapon, but other than that there wasn't anything else to add. I placed everything on the checkout counter, watching with vindictive glee as the price grew. The fan had been expensive.

"It's going on our tab." I tell the cashier.

When everything is put into bags I snatch them up, thanking the ladies as we leave. Outside, I glance left, and then right before moving in that direction. The Uchiha boys trail behind me, doing god knows what while I lead us to the closest restaurant. I'm half tempted to go to one of the Akimichi places, but fear of running into my friends stops me.

We enter a restaurant and are seated at a table. I sit across from the boys, setting my four bags on the chair beside me. The hostess had given us a table in the middle, surrounded by others. People stared, whispering and being completely obvious about that they were doing. It annoyed me, and I made sure to meet as many gazes as possible, staring until people became uncomfortable and looked away.

As I did this, I noticed something strange. Itachi and Shisui were getting almost as many looks, and not a lot of pleasant ones. Most eyed them suspiciously, looking between us in confusion. Was I such a loner that people found it odd when I was seen with others? That couldn't be it, because I could be seen with Shika and Chouji regularly before. What was the issue then? My gaze wandered over my two companions, and suddenly something clicked.

The night of the attack, both tailed beasts had been under the control of the sharingan. This meant the Uchiha were under a lot of suspicion, just like last time. That was why the stares had been so intense today. Minato would have known about this, of course; that sneaky man. He had dragged me into the village's politics while simultaneously trying to make me happy. I'd wanted to go alone after all.

Did Minato think it wise to involve a little girl in this kind of thing? If I, the 'Namikaze princess' was seen publicly being amicable with two Uchiha, one of which is the heir, its sending a strong message.

The Hokage trusts the Uchiha.

It irked me that I didn't figure this out sooner, but I wasn't really angry. At least my fame was being used for good right? That said, it disgusted me that all these people had the nerve to act in such a way around mere children. What point were they trying to prove? Where could the children have any involvement in the attack? Idiots; every single one of them. A waitress came by and took our order.

Well, if Minato was trying to make a statement, he was about to get one.

"So," I began, speaking a bit louder than necessary. "How is your clan doing? I know after everything they must be busy, what with the police force and all that."

"They are doing well, thank you for asking." Itachi replies.

"That's good. The Uchiha are such a help to Konoha, you know? I don't know how we would manage without them. I mean, they protect the civilians and whatnot, which is a tough job. My, er – _father_ \- is really impressed with the Uchiha's commitment to the village."

Both boys give me strange looks for a second before catching on.

"It's an honor, really." Shisui says. "We'll have to show our gratitude, I wasn't aware that the Hokage thought so highly of our clan."

"Oh, it isn't just him," I murmur. "The Namikaze family also supports the Uchiha. We will continue to stand beside you against those vicious rumors circling your clan. It's a shame, that after all the help the Uchiha gave during the attack, people would even believe such a thing."

Minato really shouldn't have given me such an opportunity. Village politics mattered little to me, and recently I had felt vindictive toward Konoha; I had no qualms about making some waves and possibly earning the ire of a couple clans. Besides, the Uchiha probably had nothing to do with the attack.

"On behalf of my family and village, I would like to apologize. The suspicion placed upon your clan is unwarranted and unjust, and I am ashamed in those who could believe and act on such nonsense. The Uchiha are one of our founding clans, they deserve better than this."

It's silent for a moment, as the eavesdroppers process my words. Maybe it was a bit of overkill, but I had wanted to make a point and now? I'm five hundred percent sure I did. Itachi and Shisui look stunned, that I would go so far for their clan. Understandable of course, I didn't particularly care about the Uchiha clan. What bothered me was the way their younger members would be treated, simply for the symbol they wore.

Also, if I was being honest with myself, I didn't want Itachi to be forced to walk the path he had in the series. It bothered me, the fact that after everything Konoha put him through, he was still loyal. I didn't understand how he could remain so, because Itachi had _suffered_. More than anyone should ever have to. If there was one thing I would attempt to change before leaving, it was that.

Mind you, I didn't necessarily want to. Konoha was not my problem, but this wasn't about them. It was about a thirteen year old whose loyalty never wavered. And his story, it affected me deeply. Hell it changed the way I saw the world. There are some things in life that impact you so greatly, and for me this was one thing that did so. Anyone who could say differently after learning his story was either a liar or heartless.

Itachi looked at me, really looked, like he was seeing me for the first time. "Thank you." He said, voice filled with something I couldn't identify.

Our food arrived and I shrugged. As we ate I made sure to keep light conversation going, making Shisui laugh on occasion and weaving a cheerful atmosphere for anyone watching. It was surprisingly easy to get along with these two, and I could see a pattern forming. Clearly I could only stand to be around prodigies, which made sense I suppose. They wouldn't talk to me like I was an idiot and in turn I didn't have to dumb myself down for them.

The meal ended up being on the house, unsurprisingly, and we departed soon after. I allowed them to each hold a bag as we walked, and I continued talking. I told the boys stories or asked questions, interacting with both of them. When we were out of sight, my graceful gait disappeared and my posture became relaxed once more. Shisui cracked a joke, a terrible one that made me laugh anyway when a voice called out to us.

"Nao-chan?"

As one we turned, and on the intersection behind us were the Ino-Shika-Cho trio and their sons. It had been Shikaku that had spoken. I paused as my mind panicked, and the grouped started our way. I took a step back and then another before turning tail and speeding away as quickly as possible without running. My name was called by several people but only my escorts followed behind me.

I didn't slow until the manor was in sight. At the gate I snatched my bags from the boys' hands and thanked them before retreating into the manor. No one was around, for which I was thankful as I scurried up the stairs and to my room, locking the door behind me. What were the odds that I'd bump into the very people I was avoiding? I slid to the floor, dumping my purchases around me.

My heart felt heavy, and I ignored it in favor of gazing out the window. I hadn't been ready to face Shika and Chouji, not yet. They would know now that I'd been purposely avoiding them. They'd be hurt and upset, and it would only get worse once we started at the academy. What if we end up in the same class from the very beginning? How am I going to deal with that? Maybe it was stupid, what I was doing, but I couldn't help how I felt.

I wasn't good with rejection, and they weren't ready to hear the truth. It would come out eventually, I knew that, but it would be years from now. They'd be older and everything would be different anyway. I wasn't sticking around, so it was fine if we drifted apart. I would leave one day, and I knew neither of them would never abandon Konoha, so I wouldn't ask. Our paths were going in separate directions.

This was for the best, that we drifted away so early. It would hurt less, and one day I'd be just a memory at the back of their minds. It was what happened when people moved away, I knew better than anyone. Life doesn't stop just because you go; no, people change, everything continues on, and eventually you become a story told when others reminisce.

So it was for the best.

Because any other option hurt too much to think about.

* * *

I didn't leave the manor for the next week after that day. I told Kushina to not let anyone who wasn't Inoichi in to see me. I must have looked pathetic because whenever my friends came she sent them away. She even did so when Shikaku made an appearance. At dinners I could feel concerned eyes on me, but I never spoke about it and no one asked.

Kakashi had gone away on a mission, and I was lonely without him, not that I'd ever admit it to anyone. I had promised Kurama I would stop bugging him, so with nothing else to do I took to reading books from Minato's study. When it got late enough I started going to the top of the Hokage Mountain. The walk would tire me out enough that when I would finally get to bed I could pass right out.

What was mildly worrying was that every time, without fail Shisui or Itachi would always find me mere minutes after I lay out on the dirt. For some reason, I had assumed their job was more of a "call when you leave your place" type thing. Did they just wait around outside the manor all day? At one point I was curious enough to ask.

"How do you guys know when I leave? Are you sitting around in shifts or something?"

"It's classified." Itachi replied.

"Yeah, okay Itachi-chan."

It was quiet for a moment, and even though I was right next to him, it was still too dark to see his reaction. I was sprawled on my back, in my pajamas with my hair spread out around me. The ground was not clean but I hardly cared; Itachi seemed to though. Unlike Shisui, who would copy my pose, he simply sat with crossed legs.

"Why did you run from your friends?" Itachi asked, breaking the silence.

I didn't bother wondering how he had known who my friends were. It seemed like Itachi knew everything these days, which was incredibly irritating.

"I don't want to be their friend anymore." I replied quietly. "I'm a Jinchuriki now, and I can't tell anyone. Shikamaru and Chouji, they were traumatized by the attack. They wouldn't understand, you know? They're just children, barely out of toddlerhood. I don't like lying to my friends either, so they're better off if I stay away."

It was the first time I had mentioned anything about my status to him.

"What will you do once you begin at the academy?" he questioned.

"Ah," I hummed. "Distance myself from all the brats. Don't know how I'll manage it while keeping up my princess façade."

"That… seems like a lonely life."

"It is." I agree. "But life requires sacrifice. I'll survive, as usual."

"Sacrifice, huh?" Itachi whispers it, like he didn't mean for me to hear.

It was true though, in my mind at least. Everything needs balance, good and bad. To me, sacrifice is a necessary part of life.

So when Inoichi comes around on Sunday, our last session before my first day at the academy, I tell him something similar.

"Why are you doing this? You're only hurting yourself and your friends. Running away isn't an answer."

"What do you want from me, Inoichi?" I asked. "I made a decision, just like you've been waiting for me to do. I can't help it if it's not the one you wanted me to make."

"I'm trying to help you Nao-chan. How can I do that with your recent actions? Is this the kind of person you want Konoha to look up to? Because they will."

"You want to help me? Turn back time then, because that's the only way you could ever help me. There's nothing else you can do now. I'm not a clock that you can just fix, alright? There isn't some magical solution for me, and I'm sorry that bothers you, but it's the truth. Some people are born with missing pieces, I happen to be one."

Reincarnation didn't give me the clean slate it should have. I had issues in my last life, and they had carried over onto this one. I was literally born this way. He would never understand that though, because I couldn't confide in him like you're supposed to with a therapist. Was there even a point to these sessions? What, exactly, was being accomplished here? Inoichi hasn't said anything so I continued.

"You know, I didn't ask for any of this. I wasn't given a choice. Becoming a Jinchuriki was _forced_ upon me. You criticize my actions, but did you even think about why I'd done them? You said it yourself; the boys were shaken by what happened. They need time to heal. Well, so do I, alright? And I can't do that while constantly lying to them. It's a rough situation, but I'm going to do what it takes for _me_ to heal. Because guess what? I matter too."

I sigh. "I'm tired. I'll see you at our next session."

With that I leave, going up to my room and locking the door. I flop onto my bed for second, taking calming breaths. I know I told Kurama that I'd stay away, but five days is enough right? I close my eyes, focusing on entering my mindscape.

"What now?" He says when he sees me.

"I'm getting really sick of humans."

"Welcome to my life."

"None of them get it!" I say, pacing. "Everyone thinks they can judge me and my choices, because god forbid I make those right? These people are so freaking _proud_ of their village, it makes me sick! Well, I don't give a damn about it."

Kurama says nothing, watching me go back and forth with curiosity.

"Why should I anyway? What has Konoha ever done for me? I am not _blind_ like everyone else. I know that this is not the only way to live; I have seen peace with minimal violence. So how could I be expected to ever accept this way of life?"

How would I ever make it through the academy? Where my views were mine alone, and something I wouldn't be able to express freely? My mind has been molded and shaped so differently from everyone else here. Itachi thought I would live a lonely life with the way I was going, but that wasn't true. It didn't matter if I surrounded myself with people, because I would still be just as alone.

A strange creature in a foreign land.

And this was it.

My sacrifice.

This was the price I would pay for a second chance.

"You," Kurama began. "are a terribly real thing in a terribly false world, and that, I believe, is why you are in such distress. Peace? It won't ever exist here. This world is one filled with hatred, something a little Hime like you will never have enough of."

"Oh? Do you think I have no enmity in my heart? Because that would be a grave miscalculation on your part."

"No, you do have _some_ , but not in the typical way. The way you speak of your village, it's as if you truly loathe it; but there is no malice in you. No wish to bring harm to others; not even secretly. Do you know why? Because there is no _room_ for those kind of feelings. The hate in your heart? It's directed solely at yourself. You act like it's you against the world, but really it's you against yourself. How pathetic my host is."

"Don't criticize what you do not understand." I snap. "I'm the pathetic one? Let me tell you what happens to those like you. All that anger and scorn for the world around you? It twists you, makes you become spiteful, and after that? When your rage has been spent? All that's left is that empty feeling. You will have wasted so much energy, and for what? Nothing."

We were more alike than I had ever thought. Something about this made me sad, because there would be no happy endings for us. He would experience everything I had before. Life was the cruelest of teachers, but in the end you learn.

My god do you learn.

* * *

A/N

Good grief this took forever to write. Not a lot happened, but fillers are necessary sometimes to set everything up.

Nao's starting the academy in the next chapter, are we excited?

Thoughts? Questions?

Please Review!


	11. Chapter 11

A/N

I know it's been a while since I updated, sorry…

I absolutely love it when you guys review so thanks for the treat!

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Masashi owns Naruto and everything (except Nao)

* * *

There are times where I forget that this world doesn't have the same laws and civil rights as my last one.

Konoha is a civilization, and like any other it has its basic laws and legal system. Thievery, rape, murder, slavery, and assault are all crimes that go punished by those who enforce the law. This, of course, isn't surprising in the least; even the most primitive societies had corresponding ideals. But that was where the similarities ended.

There was no such thing as the first amendment here.

Everything I had grown up learning about my rights, and how they were something I was entitled to, none of it remained true here. It wasn't a birthright, but a privilege. In the shinobi world, things like freedom of speech didn't exist, and I would end up dead for sure if I wasn't careful to remember that.

It was like a slap to the face, every time I was reminded of how much this world differed from the one I had known. At some point last week I had made a joke to Shisui and Itachi about child labor laws only to get odd looks in return. It was truly appalling to find out no such thing existed within the elemental nations. The complete lack of civil rights here was such a foreign concept to me, and I was half tempted to do something about it.

In the end, the thought was quickly dismissed.

There was no guarantee that I would be able to make a difference, and, quite frankly, I wasn't selfless enough to give up my goals in order to do so. Because that's what it would take, years upon years of climbing the ranks until I would be in a position for my voice to even be heard. I wasn't plan on being in Konoha that long, and just because the general public was likely suffering from the absence of their human rights, didn't suddenly make it my responsibility to help them.

People suffered every day, and they managed to endure. I couldn't fix their problems for them, so if anyone wanted change they'd have to fight for it themselves. I had put everyone's needs before my own in my last life, and I wouldn't do it again; if anyone was entitled to some selfishness, it was me. My wants, needs, dreams, they _mattered_. This time, I came first, so I wouldn't try to help these people.

Because it wasn't my problem.

I had far more concerning things to worry about anyway, like the fact that Kushina was clearly trying to do away with me. I had begun at the academy as a first year about a week ago, and that was when the devil incarnate had decided I should start my extra 'training'. Because no one in this village is reasonable, my training began at the unholy hour of five thirty AM.

First was stretching, which was relaxing and left me feeling energized. After that though, it all went to hell. Kushina started me on laps, of all things, making me jog until my legs felt like jello. Then, when I finished that she made me work on chakra control, which I spontaneously started sucking at. It was frustrating to find I could no longer climb walls with the ease I once use to, and I vowed to perfect my control if such a thing was possible. Our sessions usually ended with her drilling me through calming exercises and meditation.

The whole thing was all stuff I could have figured out myself, and I was getting irritated with nothing useful to be learned. She made me get up at an ungodly hour every day to show me how to _breathe._ Then I would be forced to sit through seven hours of torture at the academy, where I also rarely learned something new, because why not?

Speaking of the academy, I ended up with Naruto in my class, no surprise there. We got Iruka as our teacher, which I had expected as well. Thankfully, the first year was always large enough to be split into four classes, with about twenty students each. I didn't end up with Shikamaru or Chouji in my class, which I considered a small mercy. Oddly enough, out of the rookie nine, only two shared my class.

Sasuke had been quite unhappy when he'd found me last Monday; apparently, he was holding a grudge. I'd been minding my own business, gazing out the window from my seat next to it when he had plopped down in Naruto's spot and scowled in my direction.

"Where've you been in the past couple of months?" He had huffed.

"Good morning, Sasuke." I'd monotoned. "Please, take a seat."

The scowl on his face had melted into a pout when I didn't acknowledge his question.

"I was looking for you, but every time I came over to Naruto's you weren't home." He muttered.

"Sorry. I'll make it up to you, so stop with that face already."

I wasn't sorry, but I _did_ know a way to make him happy, and it involved an absentee older brother. It ended up working too, and that was how I'd managed to avoid the potentially headache inducing combo that Sasuke and Naruto made when put together. A happy Sasuke more often took my side and kept Naruto from driving me crazy, so I somehow survived the first week and what it had led up to.

Today was class rankings. The entire previous week we had been tested thoroughly to set the rankings up. They were combined with the other first years and apparently changed weekly. This was clearly meant to foster a sense of competitiveness and rivalry among the students, but I saw an advantage here.

Anyone with a high rank or a clan name would definitely be observed more closely. If I could keep my rank in the lower sections consistently, it would make everyone underestimate me. That meant when the time came for spars I'd have to lose and do it believably, but I could make it work. Plus, it would be on my record, doubling my chances of being looked over as much as one could, being a Jinchuriki.

I'd just have to be careful to stay out of the bottom five. There was no way in hell I'd chance getting put on team seven, not with their shit luck. If I did, I'd purposely fail the bell test; I'd fail it so badly the next time another team saw me they would run in the other direction, _screaming_. Besides, I didn't like the idea of sharing Kakashi with two other brats; he was one of the only people who could somewhat understand me.

So maybe possessiveness is a trait I can be accused of having.

"NEE-CHAN, HURRY UP! I WANNA BE EARLY" Naruto screeched from somewhere in the manor.

I sighed, straightening my bows before grabbing my pack and heading out. Naruto was at the bottom of the stairs, practically vibrating with energy. When I reached the base he all but carried me out the door. At this point I was used to this sort of thing, and I found that struggling against him only made it more troublesome, so I resigned myself to my fate of constantly being dragged around.

As we made our way through the winding streets of the village, my thoughts wandered to Kakashi. The jerk had missed my first day, and he was _still_ on that mission. I'd asked Minato about the details only to be shut down immediately. I knew that as a rule most missions above C-rank were classified, but the way Minato had acted made me suspicious. The fact that he wouldn't tell me anything had me thinking Kakashi was on ANBU business.

Which I hated.

With him gone, along with Obito and Rin, who had taken a mission of their own yesterday, the dinner table was strangely empty. One of them was always over for dinner or breakfast, sometimes both, and it made me wonder how Minato felt with his team gone. Lonely, I'd guess. It probably wasn't often that they were all away from the village at the same time.

I'd taken to bothering my Uchihas in the absence of Kakashi. I could tell they were restless, not being able to go on missions with guard duty. Part of me felt bad, but I knew why Minato had chosen them for this. Shisui was fourteen and Itachi was twelve; they were young despite their outstanding skills, and I personally thought keeping them in the village was a mercy, even if it wouldn't last.

I was torn from my thoughts when Naruto came to an abrupt halt, causing me to stumble into his back. We'd arrived at the academy and there was already an army of children in front of the first year ranking board. Despite Naruto's best efforts we hadn't been early, so the crowd wasn't exactly a shocker. I wasn't about to fight my way through twenty kids for a stupid piece of paper though. I tugged on Naruto's sleeve, getting his attention.

"I'm going to the classroom." I tell him. "Don't be late okay?"

He nodded in agreement before throwing himself into the chaos. I didn't bother waiting to see if he made it to the front; if anyone can do it, it's him. I circled around the growing horde, weaving through people who didn't move out of my path. While half of them usually did, the other half simply didn't care enough. It hardly mattered to me either way; I was quite capable of shoving my way through if necessary.

I received a certain amount of respect from teachers and clan students because of my title, but I had a feeling it would wane in the face of my below average rank. If only they knew the amount of effort it would take to maintain it. It was a mess of calculations; the right amount of questions to get right, the consistency with whatever you got wrong, the timing in which you finished.

Amazing, that Shikamaru went to all this trouble to do the exact same thing. Didn't he realize that he was working overtime to be average? How tiring was that? Just as I reached my classroom door and slid it open, I felt a prickle against my neck. Someone was watching me then. I turned my head, eyes scanning the hall until my gaze collided with another.

Speak of the devil.

Right on the edge of the crowd was Shika; brows furrowed and slumped against the wall like it was too much effort to stand up right. Behind him, Chouji seemed to be attempting to work his way towards the board. It would be in vain of course, he was too shy to be rough, and class would start in a few minutes. Shikamaru was probably there for support, because I knew for a fact he wouldn't be that close to a crowd otherwise.

For a brief second I stared, trying to understand the expression on his face. It had morphed from surprised confusion, like he hadn't expected to see me here, to something else. Then he shifted, like he might walk over to me, and I flinched before scurrying into the classroom, shutting the door behind me. I still hadn't figured out how to make it look like we had just drifted. It was why I'd gone out of my way so far to avoid any potential incidents where we might bump into one another.

I sighed, climbing the stairs to my table. Each classroom in the academy was designed like a college, with about five levels and three tables per row. I snagged a window seat in the middle levels, a neutral space if there was one. Sasuke was already there of course, in the middle spot he had claimed as his own. With Naruto sitting on the outer end, it would be a good place for him, protected on both sides.

Sasuke was adorable (though not as much as Chouji, if anyone bother to ask me), and he had already started catching some attention from other girls in class. There was no doubt in my mind that he would be the highest rank, and that would only fuel the fire. The poor child had no idea what his future was about to be like; it'd be a miracle if he survived the academy without becoming traumatized.

A miracle, but unlikely.

"Morning, Nao-chan." Sasuke said, looking pleased with himself. "Have you seen the class ranks yet?"

"Who cares?" I moaned, laying my head on the table and closing my eyes. "It's all crap, Sasuke. In ten years, no one will remember them anyway."

I certainly wouldn't.

"Th-that's not true!" He stammered. "My Otou-san says being rookie of the year is important! My Aniki was, and everyone remembers that."

"Yes, but Itachi is a freak of nature, and your Otou-san is a twit. People aren't labels, you can't weigh their worth based on a number."

"…Do you really think so?"

"Well," I hummed, sitting up to look at him. "Look at it this way. I got a low rank, so does that mean I'm pathetic or stupid?"

"No," Sasuke said, brow furrowed. "Of course not."

"There's your answer then."

Sasuke was quiet after that, only speaking again to tease Naruto, who hunkered down into his seat with an expression that could only be identified as outrage. From what I gathered, he was right behind Sasuke in rank. That was a bit of a surprise, but I suppose it made sense for school to be easier this time around, with parents and teachers supporting him and no pesky tailed beast to cause problems.

Iruka came in just as the bell rang, demanding we all settle down. There was disappointment in his eyes when he looked at me during attendance. Clearly he had expected more from me, a mistake on his part; it wasn't my fault the man had his high hopes crushed. We spent two hours on classwork (that I didn't do) before we were dragged outside for what will always be considered P.E. in my mind.

Because he's evil, Iruka started us out with laps. I kept a steady pace in the far middle, watching Naruto and Sasuke try to outrun each other. It happened every time, and I encouraged it too. Neither understood the idea of long distance running, and so when they both tired out early they'd end up in the back with me, struggling to keep up. It's always nice to have someone suffer alongside you.

"I was way faster than you this time." Naruto wheezed from my right.

"In. Your. Dreams." Sasuke huffed out between breaths.

"You both did very well." I consoled them. "Maybe next time there will be a winner."

They groaned in unison, making me laugh.

"Is it me," Naruto puffed after a few minutes. "Or are we being stared at?"

"Oh," I grinned. "Haven't you heard? Sasuke's got a fan club forming."

Well, not yet anyway.

Definitely soon though.

The dawning look of horror on Sasuke's face sent me cackling; Naruto joined in as well, losing the breath he had just gotten back. We barely make it to the finish line in our hazardous state. Ignoring the strange looks we were given, I turned to Sasuke and pinched his pouty cheeks between my thumb and forefingers.

"None of that!" I sang. "You'll only make it worse for yourself, with that cute face of yours."

He blushed, swatting my hands away and grumbling incoherently. Seeing this side of him, it was hard to imagine the brooding teen hell bent on revenge. Hopefully, I'd never get to see that side of him, with the way things had settled down for the Uchiha clan. There would always be some suspicion on them, people could be ignorant, but for the most part the villagers seemed openly pleasant with their clan now.

Iruka had us doing sit ups and pushups, and then the beginning katas for another hour. I'll always be thankful for the fact that sparring doesn't happen until third year, because by this time I'm thoroughly worn out. Finally lunch arrives, which is a mix of the first, second, and third years. I preferred to stay in the classroom at this time, where I'm less likely to be bothered while Naruto and Sasuke join the masses.

Maybe it's the age, but I'm the only one that sits inside the classroom during break. Other children seem to have so much energy though, so they probably need to burn it off. You'd think I would have a similar problem, being a small child, but no. I'm barely able to crawl out of bed these days. Probably because I was getting ancient as the years went by, and my body wasn't being fooled. I'll break a hip soon with my horrific luck.

I rarely ate lunch, so I had taken to spending the free hour napping in my seat. It was peaceful, with no one around and the sun warming my body. Moments to myself were becoming more and more uncommon, so I liked to take the time I got to mentally work out my plans and the potential problems they faced. Unfortunately, those were pretty much endless.

It didn't really hit me until recently how much I was going to struggle with my freedom in this life. I was a Jinchuriki, which meant the Akatsuki would be after me in a mere six years. How the hell was I supposed to deal with that shit storm? I didn't have a Jiraiya to take me on a three year training spree, all I had was a freaking ex-Jinchuriki who was far too excitable and also not up to par with my future kidnappers/murders.

When I left the village, I ideally needed to be able to take two members on at a time. However, that seemed unlikely, and I'd settle for being able to out run them. This didn't even scratch the surface of issues I faced. Taking down the entirety of Akatsuki was something I'd already deemed absurd and beyond my capabilities; but then, I didn't really _need_ to do something that drastic in order to get rid of the threat.

Black Zetsu was the one behind everything, and if I could kill him, then surely I'd be able to rest easy at night. Of course, there was Madara's other puppet to worry about. That one would have to die too, and just to be safe I might as well throw Kabuto on my up and growing hit list. He really wasn't someone I would be comfortable with leaving alive for long, it was too much of a risk. So then they had to go, and the rest of Akatsuki didn't really matter.

If I managed to live through killing those three, then I was hardly worried about anyone else coming after me that I couldn't handle. Pein and his twisted philosophy could go on their merry way, because I certainly wasn't touching that with a ten foot pole. Whatever Konoha got, they already had coming to them. Besides, I was pretty sure Naruto and Sasuke would grow up to save the day somehow. They didn't need my help, and I would only interfere if I unfortunately happened to still be in the village by then, which I wouldn't be.

Something tore through my thoughts, grabbing my attention. I sensed a chakra signature approaching, one I was quite familiar with. I stiffened, before sliding the window next to me open. One moment I was on the sill, and then next I was tumbling towards the ground. Briefly I panicked, before landing lightly on my feet. It had been months since I had done something like that, and I forgot about my lack of chakra control.

I hurried over to the playground, hoping to blend in. I wasn't sure where Sasuke or Naruto were, but I didn't want to risk running into Chouji so looking would be pointless. Being out in the open with screaming kids running everywhere was a bit disorientating; I'd never leave the building at lunch again if this was the norm. As I contemplated my next move, a voice called out to me.

"Hey there! You with the pigtails!"

I turned to see a girl my age prancing over. Her short blonde hair and pupil-less baby blue eyes gave me no doubt as to who she was. Only Yamanaka Ino would act so bold to a stranger. Why was I running into people I had no desire to interact with today? Behind her a group of girls stared wide eyed, like I was an exotic animal or something.

"You're that girl everyone talks about, right?" Ino demanded, putting her hands on her hips. "Namikaze Nao."

"It's Uzumaki Nao, actually." I replied disinterestedly.

"I'm Yamanaka Ino, it's nice to meet you." She beamed. "So what are you doing? Do you want to hang out with us?"

"Uh..." The word no is at the tip of my tongue, because honestly, why would I want to subject myself to anymore Yamanaka in this lifetime? But then a beautiful idea forms in my mind. Ino would be perfect help keeping Shika away and making it seem like I was a silly girl who wanted to hang out with other silly girls. It would add to the illusion that we were drifting in different directions.

Plus, surely I could find a way to use this to my advantage against Inoichi? He wanted me to make friends, after all. Maybe I could get Ino to say something heart attack worthy when she went home today. That would be hilarious to see; sticking around her once in a while could be beneficial then, so long as she didn't think of us as anything more than casual acquaintances.

"Yea, okay." I agreed, gesturing for her to lead the way.

She does, and then I'm being introduced to a hand full of girls, whose names I forget right after I hear them, other than the conspicuous pink haired Sakura. I listen as they chat about unimportant things, feigning interest and sliding my opinion in when asked. It's a challenge to not automatically tune out, but somehow I manage. When conversation turns to Kunoichi class, all eyes are suddenly on me.

"So Nao-chan, why haven't we seen you at class yet?" Ino inquires. "Aren't you signed up? I thought it was mandatory."

Maybe I should be offended at the familiarity she addresses me with, but I don't actually care.

"Oh, it is." I reply, smiling sweetly. "Mandatory, that is. It's just that I would rather not waste my time when I could be doing more important things."

Like watching paint dry.

It's about as fun as going to that class would be.

"Besides," I continue. "Sasuke says that only boring girls go to Kunoichi class."

I kept my face blank as the girls around me gasped and giggled. Clearly I have their attention, which is good. Sasuke's reputation has grown with his new found status, and I silently apologize for what I'm about to do. Sacrifices have to be made sometimes, for the greater good; and by greater good I mean sweet, sweet revenge.

"Uchiha Sasuke?"

"He's in the number one rank!"

"That's right!" one of them says to me "I've seen you walking home with him after school. Does that mean your friends?"

"Of course we are." I scoff. "He's practically my little brother."

"Wait!" Ino said, smiling. "Can you tell us about him?"

"Yeah, but you guys can't tell anyone I told you okay?"

They all nod in agreement, and I have to hide my smile.

Poor Sasuke, doomed from the start.

"So first of all, his favorite color is red…."

* * *

When lunch ends, and I remember there's still three hours left in the day, I'm tempted to skip.

So I do.

Talking with little girls is exhausting; I don't know how anyone does it.

As the bell signals for us to return to class, I shuffle in with the other children. Instead of climbing the stairs to the second floor, I slip into the girl's bathroom. In seconds I'm out the window and shutting it behind me. If teachers don't want their students skipping class, then why do they make it so easy? I don't even duck under windows as I go, and I walk right out the front gate with no problems. Maybe no one expects a student to make such a bold escape.

I wander through Konoha with no destination in mind. It's nice, to be able to walk on my own knowing there's no one following or watching. I vowed to enjoy it while it lasted, because as soon as Itachi and Shisui showed up after school and found out I'd skipped, they were going to murder me.

It had become routine for them to pick me up from school since I never went straight home anyway. Sasuke had yet to find out that his precious Aniki was spending most of his time with me, and I managed to keep it that way while 'making it up to him'. At the end of each day I walked him home, giving him time with Itachi. Sometimes I would even stay for tea, if the clan head was away.

I had yet to meet Fugaku and frankly, I could go the rest of my life avoiding the man. He was one of those parents that desperately needed a handbook on how to raise their children, and oddly enough there seemed to be a lot of that type around here. I had literally no patience left for people like that, so I did my very best to stay away. Chastising a clan head didn't seem like a good idea, you know; if I wanted to live a full life.

"Hello." A voice said from my left, making me start.

A guy had appeared out of nowhere, walking alongside me. I narrowed my eyes inquisitively, examining the man. He looked about eighteen, with long brown hair and dark eyes. On his head was the standard hidden leaf forehead protector; in fact, everything about him was pretty standard. Green chunin vest, weapons pouch, blue pants and long sleeved shirt, ninja sandals.

Everything about him seemed normal for a leaf nin, so perfectly ordinary that warning bells went off in my mind. Maybe I was a paranoid nutcase, after all, the guy probably just saw a little girl wandering around during school hours; that was suspicious enough. Hell, it could even be someone trying to get in with the Hokage's 'precious daughter'. It certainly wouldn't be the first time.

"Hello, highly suspicious person." I replied, stalling for time. "Are you a pervert? Because if you are, then I'd like to inform you that I'm on good terms with the head of T&I, and he doesn't take kindly to threats against my innocence."

Perhaps 'good terms' was a bit of a stretch. I mean, I had stabbed the guy's hand; but he hadn't looked too upset, and I was still breathing, so I'd consider it a victory. I racked my brain while the guy floundered. I hadn't sensed him at all, which either meant I'm an unobservant idiot, or he's extremely skilled. I was betting on the latter, given the flow of his acting; he seemed genuine, though it hardly mattered because now he would only ever be suspicious in my mind.

"I'm not a pervert!" he stuttered.

"Oh, okay then." I grinned cutely. "So what's your name then? I'm Nao!"

"Pleasure to meet you, Nao-san." The man murmured. "My name is Hiro."

"Well, Hiro, I was just thinking some dango would be nice, do you like dango?"

Do you like interrogation?

"Er, shouldn't you be in school?"

"Why yes, yes I should." I chirped. "I'm glad you mentioned that, because I was just thinking we should get off the street before someone finds me."

I snatched his wrist in a firm grip, dragging him behind me as we went. I lead us to one of the nearby sweets stands and bought the both of us dango before moving over to one of Konoha's many open fields. This one was empty of people, and I released my prisoner, prancing to the middle of the field and flopping onto my back. I patted the grass on my right in invitation. Hiro followed, choosing to sit with his legs crossed.

"You are an odd child." He tells me.

"Probably. So are you a chunin? You don't look old enough to be a jonin."

"I'm a chunin."

"Must be fun, going on missions." I said wistfully. "I can't wait for my chunin exams."

"Oh?" He hummed. "You go to the academy then?"

"That's right! Started last week. I can't believe I'll have to wait _six years_ before I can become a ninja, isn't that crazy?"

"You sound really excited. Being a shinobi is tough work, you know. Only those who love the village can be great ninja though. How do you feel about Konoha?"

Unease washed through me though I kept my expression cheerful; he just kept getting more suspect every time he opened his mouth. There was no way I wouldn't have sensed him if he was actually a chunin, not while I was on the lookout for my guards.

"Oh! I love the village!" I chimed. "More than anything else, for sure!"

"You'll be a good Kunoichi then, I can tell."

"Well duh!" I lowered my voice. "Wanna know a secret?"

Hiro nodded, leaning closer to hear. I take a deep breath, channeling my inner Naruto.

"One day, I'm going to be Hokage. I'll be super strong like my family! It's my dream, but don't tell anyone okay?"

Yes, and while I'm at it, I'll marry Pakkun, join Akatsuki, and shave my head. Hopefully this is what he wants to hear though. Lying through my teeth seemed to be one of the few things I was proficient at, and distantly I wondered what that said about me. Nothing positive, but then, positivity isn't going to keep me safe here and this situation was starting to _reek_ of Danzo.

"That's a wonderful dream to have, Nao-san. It's great that you care about the village so much." Hiro says encouragingly. "And you can trust me to keep your secret."

"Thanks!" I beam.

I'd need to rinse my mouth with bleach after all this false peppiness crap I was spouting. It was a talent, being able to make one's self absolutely nauseous with nothing but words; there should be an award for these things. If this guy really was sent by Danzo, then I felt it was reasonable of me to be mildly alarmed. In these kinds of events I found that distraction was helpful to keeping calm; I was in the middle of a rant about Kunoichi classes when something flashed across Hiro's face.

"Sorry Nao-san, I lost track of time. I was supposed to meet my team ten minutes ago. I'll see you around okay?"

I sat up and waved as he disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

"So formal." I muttered, falling onto my back once more.

A chill went down my spine as something shadowed my face from the sun. Itachi stood over my form, glaring down at me.

"Nice to see you're enjoying yourself." He said in a calm voice that did nothing to hide the venomous undertone.

"Oh, hello Itachi." I replied sheepishly. "Erm, do you come here often then?"

"Who was that?" Shisui asked, eyeing the fading smoke. "He left in a hurry."

"Ah, that's right." I murmur. "A strange man came out of nowhere and started talking to me, so I invited him to sit with me."

Shisui made a choking sound and Itachi sighed wearily.

"Nao, you aren't supposed to talk to strangers, let alone _invite them to sit with you._ "

"I know! But he seemed like a suspicious figure, and I was curious."

Itachi rubbed his hands against his face, and I could see him thinking, why me? Well, I could ask the same question. Why couldn't I have a normal, carefree day once in a while without being creeped on? Everyone was out to get me today, I could feel it in my bones.

"Never mind that." Shisui murmured. "Nao, don't skip class. Or rather, don't skip and not tell us. We thought something had happened when you weren't at the academy. Stop trying to give me heart attacks, I'm too young for those."

"How did you guys even find out so quickly?" I wondered aloud. "School isn't over for at least another hour."

"The Hokage sent us to pull you out early." Itachi answered. "Naruto's already at the tower, so we need to get going."

Pull us out early?

That didn't sound good. It can't have been anything I did, because Naruto was there too. What was going on then that was so important Minato couldn't wait an extra hour? A chill went through me; was something wrong? It had to be given the circumstances, but then what was it? Why hadn't Kushina gone to pick us up instead of Itachi and Shisui?

Did something happen to her?

My mind went into panic mode as Shisui sped us toward the Hokage tower. Kushina was strong; if anything had happened to her she would be fine. There's no way she would leave Naruto without a mother. It had to be something else; I just wasn't seeing it yet. My brain was jumping to conclusions before I knew any facts; I simply needed to think rationally and clearly.

Maybe Minato was just being a goof and he had organized some kind of surprise party for us with class ranks out today. He liked parties, and it would be just like him to do that, so it was a possibility. When we arrived in his office though that thought was thrown clear out the window. The devastation was plain on his face, though I couldn't imagine what the problem was. Naruto was in his mother's lap on the couch, both sporting similar expressions.

I was set down as Minato dismissed the Uchihas, who cleared the room. For a moment no one said anything, and silence descended upon the office. Something was wrong and I desperately went through all possible scenarios before stopping on one. Obito and Rin had just left on a mission; had they faced more trouble than they could handle? Oh, I hoped not. Kakashi would be heart broken..

"Nao…" Minato murmured. "There's something I have to tell you. A report just came in, and... Kakashi, his mission didn't go as expected."

What?

"He's hurt?" I asked with alarm. "Is he at the hospital?"

I knew his mission was fishy.

A strained noise came from the couch but I didn't move my gaze from Minato's.

"No." He replied. "It's more complicated than that."

"I don't understand, explain to me where he is then."

"On the mission, something went wrong. Kakashi won't be able to come home anymore… Nao, he's been listed as KIA."

* * *

A/N

Okay, so not my best chapter but it needed to be done. I'm already working on the next one and I couldn't be bothered to focus on this one any longer.

Things are progressing!

Thoughts? Questions?

Please Review!


	12. Chapter 12

A/N

Pandora decided to play sad music while I was writing this, and I pretty much spent the whole time in tears…

But hey, it's not a crime to love your characters, right?

Anyway, thank you guys for reviewing and giving me the motivation to finish this chapter so quickly!

We get to learn more about Nao's past too, so buckle down, grab a tissue and

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I own Nao and the tears of my readers, but that's it.

* * *

"Nao… Kakashi can't come home anymore. He's been listed as KIA."

The room was dead silent as my mind went over Minato's words. No matter how many times I tried processing them, or rearranging them, they didn't make sense. He had to have been mistaken, because there was no way Kakashi was dead. There weren't many people alive that could kill him in a fight, and the ones that could mostly consisted of Kage and missing nin of the red cloud variety.

A world without Kakashi?

It wasn't possible.

"You're wrong." My soft voice breaks the silence.

"What?" Minato says bewildered.

"I said, you're wrong. Incorrect, mistaken, false." I retorted.

"Nao-"

"If he's really dead, then show me a body." I spat. "Well? You can't, can you? Because _he isn't dead_. I don't believe it, he wouldn't lea… ."

My voice trails off.

He wouldn't leave me alone.

"Nao-chan, I have multiple ANBU reports witnessing it." Minato said gently. "I'm sorry, but it's the truth."

"Let me see them then. Unless you're going to tell me your ANBU saw him get beheaded or something equally severe, then they're wrong too."

"I can't give you confidential reports." He replied somberly. "If they say he was killed in action then it's what happened. Please, don't make this harder than it already is Nao-chan; let it be, so we can grieve."

"You mean let it go?!" My voice rose shrilly. "He's probably out there somewhere injured, and you want me to _let it go?_ Send him some help, a medic for kami's sake! How can you be so complacent without physical proof of a body or –or anything?!"

What good was a damn report?

"Because, I sent him on that mission." Minato said, shutting me up. "I knew the risks, and I asked this of him anyway; if you want to blame someone, it should be me. He isn't… there isn't any chance of him returning. I know you don't understand right now, but I wouldn't being saying this if I wasn't sure."

The broken expression on his face cooled any anger I might have had. Minato really thought it was his fault, and it was clearly tearing him up inside. I didn't want to push, I really didn't, but he needed to understand. Kakashi couldn't be dead, he just couldn't. He was probably somewhere, slowly dying and in need of help. I had to make him see that. I grasped onto his coat with desperation.

"Please, Minato." I pleaded. "Just send someone, anyone, you can't leave him alone. _Please_ , he's probably hurt and waiting for help. Don't leave him, don't give up on him yet."

"Nao," He croaked. "This is your first lesson of being a shinobi. Sometimes, our comrades, loved ones, die. Accepting that is hard, but it must be done. Kakashi is gone, and in a better place now. His name will go on the memorial stone of those who gave their lives for Konoha, just like he did."

"But-"

"That is enough." Minato interjected. "I can't- Nao, please, no more."

He didn't understand. Why wouldn't he listen to me? As I stared at the material in my hands, I suddenly felt like the room was closing in on me. Releasing my grip, I stumbled away and out the door, into the hall, then the stairs, before finally reaching the exit. My feet moved without thought, away from people and noise as my mind struggled to work. Eventually I found myself in a familiar place, the little clearing I had once used for training months and months before.

My legs collapsed beneath me and I landed on my knees, taking deep breaths like Kushina had taught me, trying to calm myself. My hands shook though and nothing seemed to be working; it was between one blink and the next when I found myself in my mindscape. Kurama's red eyes gazed at me distastefully from behind his prison, and something about his massive presence was reassuring. He didn't speak, leaving me to my own thoughts.

This was all wrong.

Kakashi was lying in a cave somewhere, with chakra exhaustion and a broken leg while Minato did nothing to help him. Why was this happening? Didn't he know better than to think Kakashi would die like this? So shinobi died in the field all the time, but they were _average_ , regular ninja. Kakashi was a prodigy, one of the strongest in the village; he couldn't be grouped with those people.

They would all see. In a week or two Kakashi would come limping through the front gate, and they would all be sorry for doubting him. That thought calmed me, and I nodded to myself. He was a survivor after all; nothing would keep him down for long. People were listed as MIA and came back before; god knows Kakashi would be the exception for KIA. It would take some time, but I believed in him.

He would come back.

Anything else was unacceptable.

"So much faith you put in a dead man." Kurama rumbled amusedly. "What will you do when he does not return, I wonder?"

"Shut up." I whispered.

"It is not for the best, anyway?" He pondered aloud. "He would have just been another obstacle in our way. An excellent tracker highly accustomed to your scent."

It was true. I'd decidedly avoided thinking about what would have to be done to make sure no one could properly track me when I made my escape. Kurama didn't understand though, I _needed_ Kakashi. He was a source of comfort in this world, my last one and I had gotten attached. He saw right through me, knew I was strange, different and he accepted this. No one else had done that, not in the complete nonchalance, shrug-it-off way Kakashi had.

The past two weeks without him around had been stressing, but I had managed. There were very few people I cared for; I could count the number on one hand and not even need use of all fingers. Kakashi was one of those people and after losing the other two I didn't know if I could keep steady without him to lean on. When it happened I wasn't sure, but he had wormed his way into my heart. There were so many holes and cracks in there already; he couldn't disappear and leave another one.

"He's coming back." I said quietly. "You don't know him like I do. In fact, I'd say no one in this world does; not quite like me."

I'd grown up with this story, and I knew its characters well. Kakashi was a force of nature; he wasn't one to stay down after he'd been kicked. But did that logic even apply here? This wasn't the man who had lost everything in the course of a few years. Kakashi had never felt the pain and suffering his counterpart had; did that make him weaker or stronger, if he didn't have the will to protect like before?

Hang on.

That didn't make sense. He _would_ have lost a comrade at one point, because there was no other explanation for his sharingan and Obito's scars. I hadn't ever asked because I had just assumed I was in the know about everything, but for Obito to be alive with the scars he had? It meant he would have had to meet Madara and be saved by him. Kakashi would have thought Obito was dead around that time.

Was I coming close to the timeline's divergence point?

The only way I see it, Rin had somehow managed to avoid being turned into a Jinchuriki. I didn't know how yet, but if she did, then when Obito finally left Madara he would have found his teammates and never gone back. Except it couldn't be that easy, couldn't have ended like that. Madara had put too much time and effort into Obito, I found it unlikely he would just let the kid go.

Did any of this have to do with Kakashi though? If Madara had wanted Obito on board for his moon thingy plan, then it was a little late to convince him. He'd basically have to kill the entire Namikaze family and Team Minato this time around. Obito wasn't a child anymore; he had grown up and made deeper bonds with the people in his life. Madara was probably dead by now anyway, so somehow I doubted any of this was relevant to the current situation.

"Poor Hime, so naïve. The dead don't come back," Kurama said condescendingly. "I know this better than anyone. Save yourself the pain of hope and close off your heart; it makes you weak."

"Close my heart off?" A laugh that was more like a whimper sounded from me. "What could that possibly accomplish? Maybe I'm naïve, but then you are too. How long have you been alive? A millennium? Haven't you realized by now, that love isn't a choice?"

"Do not talk down to me." He growled. "What could _you_ possibly know about love?"

"I know that it hurts." I replied. "That you don't get to choose who to love. I could build myself a castle that touched the clouds, and it wouldn't be enough to protect me. It would be great if that kind of thing worked, but it doesn't; otherwise I wouldn't be the way I am."

Kurama said nothing to that.

This was a topic I wanted to continue, but now wasn't the time. What I needed right now was an adult body and a copy of Kakashi's mission. Unfortunately, neither of those was going to fall into my hands. Konoha would notice if I went missing in a heartbeat, so there was no way I'd get far even if I could get my hands on that mission report. Minato refused to send out anyone, and I was five hundred percent sure Kakashi was half dead under a bush somewhere in need of help.

What were my options then?

That mission report must have had something important on it if Minato wouldn't hand it over to me. There was no one I could convince to go out and look for Kakashi, and no way for me to find out where he might be. There was literally _nothing_ I could do here, all because Minato was an idiot and wouldn't help me. The very thought made me nauseous, but the truth was Kakashi was on his own this time. At least, until I could come up with a viable plan to save him.

Because one thing was certain.

I wouldn't give up on him.

Not like everyone else had.

* * *

 _Day 1_

Resilience is a beautiful thing.

Watching it crumble though, is even more satisfying. I hadn't said a word all through dinner last night, and then breakfast this morning just like Minato had asked of me. Instead, I stared holes into his head whenever he was in the vicinity. Mind you, it wasn't a glaring or even pleading look; I knew that wouldn't work on him. I simply kept my face carefully blank.

I think that was worse for him than if I had been doing it accusingly and with grief. Those expressions would have said I'd accepted Kakashi's death, and had blamed Minato. Perhaps that was what he wanted though; for someone to hold him accountable for everything that had happened. I couldn't do that though, because it honestly wasn't his fault. No matter was people say as an excuse, we all have choices and we all willingly make them.

Just like my decision to not accept the death of Kakashi. Minato had told me enough, so I wouldn't push the matter verbally; but I also refused to fully submit to him. I know there are times when I will be wrong and Minato will know best, but this wasn't one of those times. I would _fight_ to get my way here, and Minato was about to realize what he had gotten himself into.

I'd been an American in my last life, and if there was one thing we had excelled at, it was being stubborn. I knew how to break a person by what was considered peaceful protesting, and that was exactly what I planned to do. I knew how to find loop holes, so I used the skills I had acquired from Before to my advantage here.

It was working quite nicely too.

Minato was becoming uncomfortable under the weight of my gaze, and I could see it despite his efforts to conceal it. Four years majoring in psychology had paid off when I bothered to remember it; there was very little people could hide from me when I became motivated. Minato was Hokage for a reason though; he wouldn't bend under pressure so easily and he certainly wasn't to be underestimated.

But then, neither was I.

I would have to take it up a notch. Hokage or not, he was still a husband, and I was willing to bet he had divulged some details to Kushina; so she became my other target. Considering the fact that she had lived with Kurama, -whose stare could curdle milk- I didn't think that approach would work here. Some buttons would have to be pushed to find the right one.

Kushina was in the garden, doing some meditation when I drew near. I sat opposite to her, mirroring her position and closing my eyes but not really concentrating. God forbid I slip into my mindscape by accident while trying to get some information out of her. That was becoming a problem actually; was it normal for that to happen?

"Whatever you want, Chibi-chan," Kushina started. "The answer is no."

"That's hardly fair. You haven't even heard me out yet."

"I don't need to." She huffed. "You're just like me, so I already know whatever your about to ask for is trouble. I can _feel_ it."

"How rude; I'm nothing like you." I muttered. "I mean, I bet I'm way cuter than you ever were."

"Oi!"

"But you're right about the other part." I continue. "There _is_ something I want, and I'm willing to cause trouble to get it. First though, I have a question."

"Oh?" Kushina hums. "And what would you like to know?"

"If you're so sure he's dead, then why aren't you fighting to have his body brought back?"

I was genuinely curious about this, but that wasn't the sole reason I was asking her. Maybe it was shitty of me, but I wasn't above manipulating the people around me if it helped bring Kakashi back. That was the plan here, and judging by the pained expression on Kushina's face, I had found my angle. She doesn't say anything, so I continue.

"Doesn't he deserve at least that? To be buried and find some peace?"

"Don't you think I know that?" She murmured with glistening eyes. "There are things you don't understand. You aren't the only one who cared about him; Kakashi- he was _family._ "

"Then why aren't you fighting for him if you care so much?" My voice rises slightly. "How is it okay to leave him like this?!"

She flinches slightly, before her expression goes blank. I might have pushed too far, but it doesn't stop me from seeing the look in her eyes briefly. It's one of determination and something I can't quite put my finger on, and the familiarity of it confuses me. Does she have doubts about his death too? Realization dawns after I take a moment to think it over.

That isn't a look of someone who believes he's alive. No, her expression was one I'd seen many times before; it had been quite common in the beginning of the third world war, when families of soldiers had just wanted some closure. She was fighting to bring Kakashi's body home, I just hadn't known.

"Oh…" I say breathlessly. "I see."

"I hate when you do that." Kushina mutters. "Be a normal child please."

I didn't answer that, too caught up in my thoughts. If she was trying to get Minato to send someone out for the body, and he was refusing? Well, that was telling in itself, wasn't it? Either there wasn't a corpse to find, or he was under the impression that the body was in some way mutilated beyond recognition and he didn't want us to see that sight. Then again, that didn't really fit with the Minato I knew, not at all.

He wouldn't leave Kakashi's supposedly dead body wherever it was without an extreme reason. So then, what would be a possible rational basis for doing it? It would have to be something he had been informed of, because obviously he hadn't been there. Most likely he had been told there was no body left. He would be going off the word of someone else for that, of course; someone he trusted to report nothing but the truth.

An ANBU.

Oh my god.

If Kakashi had been on a high risk mission with a Root agent, He could be in more danger than I had thought. Hadn't Danzo gone after him once for his sharingan? A Root agent could have lied to Minato about what had happened on the mission, and no one would have been the wiser. Kakashi could be in Konoha somewhere, strapped down to a table about to get his eye gouged out.

My face must have gone white, because Kushina looked at me in alarm. I took off before she could open her mouth, spouting something about an errand as I left. My mind flipped through the possibilities at break neck speed as my feet flew over the ground. What did I do? I couldn't say anything to Minato, I shouldn't even know about Root.

How did I find an entrance to the underground tunnels? It wasn't like they were easy to stumble upon. I had to think about this; where would I put one an entrance if it was my secret division? I slid to a halt and all but shrieked for my guards Itachi appeared in front of me and Shisui followed after him.

Once I was stopped, I realized I was gasping for breath. I bent over with my hands on my knees, trying to catch some of it while the boys waited patiently. The concern in their gazes was clear, but I didn't really have time for that. If I found a tunnel they'd have to follow me in, so I'd have some protection right? It was their job to keep me safe anyway, so it wasn't as if either of them could say no if I didn't reveal my intentions.

"Hi there!" I squeaked. "You guys up for an adventure?"

"Uh-" Shisui started, only for me to interrupt him.

"That was rhetorical. I wasn't actually giving you two a choice."

I stood up, scanning my surroundings. We were on an empty street somewhere, and the Hokage Mountain peaked up in the horizon. Irritation washed away my panic as I stared at Minato's stupid rock face. He better hope I'm wrong about all this or I was going to smother him with a pillow tonight. I turned and started moving away when a thought occurred to me and I paused.

Wouldn't the mountain be a perfect place for a secret entrance?

It totally was.

I spun around and stalked off in the mountain's direction, the boys trailing after me. We weren't actually that far, and when we got there I asked Itachi to point out the way to the tunnels. God, it was such a perfect place for Danzo to make an entrance; the place was already filled with tunnels for when Konoha was under attack. Anyone could slip in or out through here and no one would be the wiser.

The interior was dark when we entered, and Shisui lit a flame to give us light as we went. I knew for a fact that this place was built like a maze, so I simply resolved to work quickly. Any kind of entrance would hopefully open with chakra and I practically shoved mine into my hands before placing them on the left rock wall of the tunnel. There was far too much but it didn't repel my hands like I thought it would; probably because I wasn't trying to attach them to the rock, just slide over it.

I could tell Shisui wanted to ask me what the hell I was doing, and I hoped he wouldn't ask because honestly I was just winging it. We moved at a brisk pace, making our way through the interior of the mountain. Hours went by, and still I found nothing; there were various levels here and we'd only been to four when Itachi had had enough. He grabbed my wrists from behind me, holding them and twisting so my body spun to face him.

"You need to stop." He said, "Your chakra reserves are getting too low. What's this about?"

"Nothing." I muttered. "Just a thought I had."

He was right. My reserves were little less than a quarter full at this point. It wasn't enough to keep going today, not with however many levels were left. With a sigh, I pulled one of my black ribbons from my pigtail, letting the hair fall to my side. Crouching down, I laid it out flat on the floor and used a stray pebble to keep it in place. I'd come back tomorrow and know where to start off.

"Let's get out of here," I murmured. "I'm tired."

They led the way and with each step my shoulders felt heavier. We'd been here for a long time, probably all day. Was this simply hopeful wishing? Because it was starting to feel that way; like I was being ridiculous and jumping to conclusions. Maybe I was, but I couldn't stop now, not without trying. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I just gave up on this idea and turned out to be right all along.

So I'd come back tomorrow.

And I wouldn't stop until I'd gone through every inch of this mountain.

* * *

 _Day 8_

Obito and Rin had returned from their mission this morning.

I left the property when they came by, uncomfortable with their tears. Minato must have told them when they'd reported in. Somehow, I'm surprised at how willingly they accept the news; hadn't Obito come back from a similar situation before? In the end, neither of them even questions it. This pisses me off more than anything; had none of them ever _met_ Kakashi? My mind tries to make excuses for them; they've been in a war, seen people die, understood the finality of it all.

But so had I.

Truthfully, there wasn't much of a good reason for their complete lack of faith in him. The three of them had been on a team for years, Obito and Rin should know the extent of their teammate's skills. How was it unfathomable to think that _maybe_ someone had made an error here? I try not to rile myself up as I walk through the main street of Konoha, away from the Hokage Mountain.

I had spent days going through those tunnels, checking every crevice, every level, countless times and not once did I find anything remotely suspicious. I'd stopped going two days ago, chalking the whole thing up to a moment of irrationality. My previous thought of Kakashi out in the wilderness, alone and injured, returned.

He could have fallen off a cliff into a river that flowed into the ocean or something. That would explain why his ANBU teammate thought him dead. It was better than thinking I'd failed him because I couldn't find a secret entrance in time and he was dead. That idea had been farfetched to begin with; I mean, Minato would have been able to use the hiraishin to find him if Kakashi had been that close.

So I didn't spend much time on that thought.

I'd started going to the main gate instead; climbing up on the wall and watching people come and go. I was pretty sure six year old girls weren't allowed up there, but no one had stopped me yet so I figured I would go until someone did. It was good chakra practice too. Sometimes Shisui would join me, prodding me to stop skipping school.

I had gone back four days ago. I couldn't stand sitting there and doing nothing while the world went on as if everything was okay, so I rarely made it through the whole day. My rank had probably dropped drastically in my absence, but I couldn't bring myself to care much. I wasn't going to be kicked out, and I hadn't wanted to be there anyway. When Kakashi came back I'd start going again, but until then nothing would keep me in that god forsaken chair for long.

Or at least, that was what I'd thought.

Iruka popped out of nowhere in my path, a stern look on his face. I groaned as he snatched me up, not bothering to try and make a run for it. Iruka held me like a football as he began a lecture on the importance of attendance. We reached the classroom and he set me down before opening the down and herding me in.

"So nice of you to join us today, Nao-chan." He hummed.

"I had some spare time." I replied sarcastically, moving to my seat.

Naruto and Sasuke were already there, and I could feel their gazes as I slid into my chair. Naruto had gone back to school a few days after the news; he was young and didn't understand the full weight of what had happened. He had been upset of course, and was a bit mellower these days, but I wasn't sure it had really sunk in for him yet. I wished I could be so innocent.

Sasuke greeted me and I grunted in reply as tests were passed out. Why were we always being tested? It was only the third week. A cacophony of pencils scratching against paper filled the room as I stared blankly at my own. A week I'd been gone, and yet I could still answer every question on this test with no difficulty. What the heck was I doing with my life?

I quickly set to the paper, answering every two questions right. I didn't have the energy to care about how obvious the pattern was, I just wanted to get this over with and leave. I probably wasn't fooling anyone to begin with; after all, these people dealt with Nara children. They would see through me at some point anyway, the girl who was too lazy to actually appear lazy.

I finished the test and held it up for Iruka to collect. When that was over with, I slid over the window next to me and jumped out, ignoring Iruka's calls. He couldn't exactly leave twenty children in the middle of a test to track me down, and by the time he actually found me school would be over.

Outside the academy gates was a disapproving Itachi, and I pretended to not see him as I walked past.

"Why would you go if you're just going to skip the last hour?"

"Oh! Hello Itachi-chan, fancy seeing you here." I said with false surprise.

"You're a lost cause." He sighed. "Absolutely hopeless."

"Hey now, if there's anything I have in abundance, its hope." I scoffed. "You might as well get used to it, because you'll be stuck with me forever at this rate. Maybe your mother will marry us; she loves me enough."

"She certainly does." He said amused. "Though I think she's hoping you'll take to Sasuke. Kushina-san is already planning the wedding."

"Fabulous."

I really couldn't stand people today.

"…Why have you been going to the gate?" Itachi asked.

The question caught me off guard, and I paused.

"What do you think I go there for?" I questioned curiously.

"Well, it seems like you're waiting." He began softly. "For Hatake-san to return, that is. I simply don't understand why. Hokage-sama has publicly announced his death already, but for some reason you act like he'll walk through the gates at any minute."

My stomach twisted as I fumbled with a way to explain myself.

"When you see a miracle happen right in front of your face, you begin to believe in them more." A sigh escapes me. "One day, I think you'll see one for yourself, and you'll understand. People have come back from worse before, so why not him?"

There was no evidence proving Kakashi's death. I'd believe he was dead when I saw a body myself; not simply take a stranger's word for it. It didn't matter whether Minato trusted his ANBU or not because people made mistakes, and that's what happened here. There was no other explanation for how bizarre this situation had become.

I might not know much about ANBU procedures, but I was pretty sure you weren't supposed to leave a body behind; one with the sharingan no less. There were scrolls to bring bodies back in, so why hadn't that happened? To the best of my knowledge the Uchiha clan hadn't said a word about it either, which was strange. Nothing added up to clearly state 'yup, he's definitely dead!' so sue me if I wasn't convinced. Then again, I wasn't even allowed to read the mission report so I hardly had all the facts.

"There's more to it than that." Itachi said, drawing my attention. "This isn't something you're doing off some misguided sentiment. You truly believe he's going to come back."

"I do."

"Why?"

"Because someone has to."

It was getting harder to crawl out of bed each day, but I'd keep doing it. There wasn't any other choice. I could feel that oh so familiar darkness threatening to creep up on me, could feel myself slipping over the edge. I wasn't religious, but I stilled prayed for Kakashi to hurry up and come home. He had been keeping me steady, and I didn't take loss well. The more time that passed, the bigger that seed of fear in my head grew. What happens to a person when their last crutch falls?

Of course, I already knew the answer.

They break.

It was why I couldn't give in, not yet.

* * *

 _Day 13_

"What do you hope to accomplish with this, little Hime?" Kurama huffed. "Look at what you're doing to this place, it's absolutely pathetic."

The sewer of my mindscape was mostly the same. The only difference was the shadows that creeped along the walls and whispered incoherently; a reflection of old demons, no doubt. They had appeared some days ago, but didn't seem to do much other than float around. I wasn't sure how to feel about actually being able to see them; sure, I had issues, but that didn't mean I wanted to be reminded of them.

Vaguely I wondered what it said about me that I preferred Kurama to them. Neither of them was particularly healthy for me, but I wasn't really being given a choice here. My gaze flickered over to the shadows briefly before returning to the tailed beast.

"What, exactly, would you have me do about them?" I asked. "Besides, they aren't hurting you; just my sanity. One would think you'd be overjoyed at the idea, but no; so ungrateful."

"You are truly the _bane_ of my existence." He growled, baring teeth. "How did I get shackled with a host like you?"

"You're just angry that you can't use the shadows against me."

In all honesty, I was really the best person to be Kurama's host. He could use other's hatred to manipulate them, but that wasn't really possible with me. I didn't hate anyone more than I did myself, and he couldn't exactly use that against me. I couldn't be coerced to set him free on my enemies, because as Kurama had once pointed out, my only real enemy was myself.

And wasn't that ironic?

Kurama would have to protect me from my demons, because letting them get to me would probably end badly. He did a decent job too, squishing any shadows that floated too close to his cage. This alone gave me some comfort and amusement, because for the first time in his life he had to take care of a human instead of destroy one. In a sick, twisted way Kurama had become a sort of guardian angel, or demon I guess.

"Why can't you just find it in yourself to hate Konoha?" He hissed. "They are the ones who made you a Jinchuriki against your will. They shoved a monster in you and now expect you to obey like a good little dog. Are you not angry with them?"

"Someone once told me that holding on to hatred is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die." I murmured. "And don't call yourself a monster."

"Oh? Ordering me around now?"

"People call you things like monster and demon because they're afraid, but they don't really understand the meaning of those words." I rant. "The only real monsters in the world are humans, myself included; demons nothing more than the darkest corners of our minds. Do you know why it's so hard to get rid of them? Because they're there when no one else is. The things that go bump in the night, they aren't under your bed; no, they're drifting about in your mind."

Everything is silent for a moment, even the whispering shadows.

"Self-pity doesn't become a Hime like you." Kurama grumbles, startling a laugh out of me.

"It really doesn't." I agree, watching as another shadow perishes under the weight of Kurama's claw. It disappears in a swirl, and the sewer brightens a fraction.

"What are you going to do about the mind reader?"

"Inoichi?" I hummed. "Keep closing the door in his face, probably."

He had come by yesterday to restart our sessions, and I had be perfectly fine until he crossed a line. Mind you, he hadn't said anything to me, I'd just happened to overhear him speaking to Minato. Apparently I wasn't able to deal with Kakashi's death and my mind had subconsciously made up delusions to help cope with the news. I was offended on so many levels, but I couldn't exactly do anything about it.

Acting out would simply strengthen Inoichi's theory. Still, I wouldn't be seeing him again any time soon if I had anything to say about it. Why did there have to be anything wrong with me other than an absurd amount of faith? None of them understood me, and I was okay with that; but why was it so unacceptable to think I might see the world differently? This was why prodigies like Itachi and Kakashi were so messed up; they were different so there _must_ _be something wrong with them_.

"Someone is coming." Kurama said, tearing me from my thoughts.

I checked my sensory range and sure enough, a chakra signature was headed my way at a sedate pace. I sighed, exiting my mindscape and sitting up in the open field where I'd been 'napping'. At the end of the field was one of the last people I had expected to see.

Jiraiya stood there, hair waving in the wind. He eyed me as he approached, like I might disappear if he blinked. He sat on my left, turning his face to the blue sky above us. I fell onto my back once more, holding in a sigh. What did I do in my last life to deserve not an ounce of peace in this one?

"Do you know why the sky is blue?" I inquired, breaking the silence.

"I can't say I do." He replied after a moment.

"It's because of the ocean. When the sun hits it the color reflects off the water and onto the sky, turning it blue. Or at least that's what I was told, a long time ago; I don't have any proof, of course. Do you often believe people by word alone?"

"Not usually." Jiraiya admitted. "I prefer to find answers myself; look at facts and come up with my own conclusion."

"Me too." I sighed. "People make mistakes, sometimes they can be unreliable you know? I believe the only way to find the truth is to look for it yourself; otherwise you're left with no choice other than to accept what people tell you. The sky is blue, but not all the time. Why should you believe anything I say about it without proof?"

"That's… very true." He said with surprise. "And a strangely rational way to think."

"Yeah," my voice is soft. "I have my moments, no need to sound so shocked."

It's quiet for a second, and I can tell he's about to bring up Kakashi. I don't want to talk about that though; I'm tired of speaking to people about it. So I rack my brain quickly to find a topic that will take his mind off that and keep his interest.

"I talk to the Kyubi every now and then." I blurt suddenly.

There's a long pause, where Jiraiya stiffens and a strained noise sounds from his throat.

"Oh?" He finally says. "What does it say?"

Well, I definitely have his attention now.

"His name is Kurama." I begin. "And he mostly says stuff like he hates me, but that's such a lie; I'm growing on him. Oh, and he's such a sass master. Always has something to say, and he calls me Hime. I swear that nickname is going to follow me the rest of my life."

"So you've talked to it- er, _him_ , quite a bit?"

"Yup. You could say he's keeping me sane."

Literally.

"You don't seem very afraid." Jiraiya comments.

"Hard to fear someone as protective as him."

Plus, he was fluffy and cute.

"Have you told Minato or Kushina about this yet?"

"Nope." I chirped. "You're the first, aren't you happy I think so highly of you?"

He huffed and didn't reply.

"I didn't want them to take Kurama away." I said truthfully. "Right now… I need him. It might be hard for you to believe, but he's actually helping me. So don't try to stop me, because I won't let it go this time."

Our gazes collided, and once again I couldn't help but wonder what he saw in me. Whatever it was must not have been too bad, because his features softened a little and he nodded in agreement. With that conversation over, I relaxed and turned my head back to the sky.

My body had become tense without me noticing, and even though it wasn't anymore I still felt tight, like my muscles couldn't fully ease. Air seemed to weigh more with each passing day, and still I waited for Kakashi. It was funny, how you never really realize how important someone is to you, not until they're gone. Why did people depend on others so much? It was a horrible thing to do really, because they didn't always stick around. No, sometimes they just left.

And when that happened?

You got hurt.

* * *

 _Day 18_

I remember reading somewhere that hope is a powerful thing, and that it will keep you going when nothing else would. As I stood in front of the freshly carved name on the memorial stone, I had to wonder that was true.

Today had been Kakashi's funeral.

Kushina had apparently caved to her husband, because they'd held the funeral with an empty casket and a newly made headstone. A decent amount of people had showed up, and the afternoon weather was appropriately gray. I hadn't stayed for more than twenty minutes before I found myself wandering. No one was looking for him now; that small ray of relief I didn't know I'd had was gone.

If hope is supposed to make you strong, then why did I feel so weighed down compared to everyone else? It was like slowly suffocating, watching people move on while I sat and waited for Kakashi to prove them wrong. Maybe that was the trap about hope; at first it keeps your head above water, but after time it just ends up dragging you down instead.

I didn't know what to think anymore.

Kakashi probably wasn't coming back.

It was that thought that left me completely still, even after night had fallen. Everything was starting to fall apart again. And all of the sudden I felt really tired; like the world had drained me for everything I had. Never had I wanted more to just shut down, go to sleep and not wake up. I wasn't going to give into it this time though, to that familiar pain that begged to be numbed.

I wouldn't let it break me.

This time, I would embrace the pain; use it to my advantage to help me see more clearly. What I needed was to get myself together; I couldn't afford to fall to pieces anymore. I had goals to reach and I couldn't achieve them if I didn't change. There wasn't time to grieve; I'd wasted that already. My hand found the necklace Kakashi had given me so long ago. I didn't want to disappoint him, I never wanted to; but if I wanted to follow my goals then it was inevitable, wasn't it?

Would he forgive me, for wanting to be free?

Maybe not, but that wouldn't stop me. I didn't think there was anything that would ever change my mind, not on this. Konoha, or perhaps the shinobi villages in general, felt toxic. They started wars over their own greed, without thought for the soldiers who would be out in battle, dying for no true cause at all. That was what happened with humans, it was a cycle that kept repeating itself, and I was so tired of it. I hadn't even made it through to see the end of my own world's war, but it had been enough to change my outlook.

I wasn't a tool to be used at convenience, or a weapon of mass destruction. But that was all the elders would ever see, and I couldn't live in a place that would try to dictate me and my every move. I had seen enough fighting and death in my last life, and I didn't agree with the way Konoha, a militaristic village, was run. So I would leave one day, but I'd make a promise too.

If the time ever came where they needed me, I would do whatever it took to protect the home and people that Kakashi had been so willing to die for. It was the best I could do, because I wouldn't stick around to try and save the day every time someone was in trouble. A deep sigh escaped me, and I took one last look at the stone before turning my back on it. Time was ticking, and there were many things to do; I had one last errand to run before I could begin.

I needed to see that report file.

In my mind, I knew that what I was about to do would get me in so much trouble, and maybe that's why I found my feet leading away from the tower instead of toward it. I went down the main street, not really paying attention to where I was walking. As the village gates grew closer, I told myself this was the last time. The guards looked half dead when I arrived.

My feet stood just before the open doors. I didn't even think about taking a single step out; it wasn't time, not yet. It was dark, and you couldn't see that far out at all, but the sun would be rising soon, I could tell. So I waited there, watching as the sky slowly began to change color. As the sun started to appear over the horizon, I turned my gaze away from it and out the gates. The trees seemed to come alive with the dawning sky, a beautiful sight and just as I was about to turn away something caught my eye.

I did a double take, squinting to see better. There, in the distance was a shape moving sluggishly toward the village. I blinked once, and then again, trying to make sense of what it was. The figure grew closer before I could tell it was actually a person limping, and not a demented animal. The sun began to blind me rather than help, and I held a hand over my eyes. It was then that I noticed the color, which glinted in the rising light.

Silver and gravity defying.

I was out the gates before anyone could even think of stopping me.

* * *

A/N

Okay guys I promise I'll be nice and try to be lighter hearted, so don't hate me please. Authors are so kill happy nowadays that you never really know what to believe anymore, and I love this because it keeps us on our toes.

Did I manage that with any of you?

I can already hear the complaints about how depressing this chapter was, so I'll explain. In case you guys missed it, Nao isn't exactly what one would consider happy-go-lucky. She suffered from depression and ended up killing herself because of it. When people commit suicide, it's because they want everything to be over and done. But Nao didn't get that end; she was reincarnated instead.

She wants to live this time around, but you guys have to remember that depression doesn't just magically go away. Nao has to live with the fact that she killed herself, and I think that would give anyone a little bit of instability (which she hovers on the edge of). So there will be some ups and downs, and I hope you guys can bear with me for them.

Thoughts? Questions?

Please review!


	13. Chapter 13

A/N

Alright, you guys are the best.

I can't even believe the response I got from that last chapter.

So a lot of you wanted to know when I update, and honestly there isn't a clear schedule, it really depends. When I get going like I am right now and you guys give me these awesome reviews, I'll be sending chapters out every two or three days for a while until I attempt to do a weekly schedule, which never works.. But! I _am_ working on like three other fics, so occasionally my mind wanders to those, and I have to put some time into them too.

Anyway! As always, thank you for the reviews!

You're all angels.

This is going to be like mostly Kakashi P.O.V. and then a bit of Nao so this is going to be my longest chapter yet. Kakashi's point of view is going to start four days before Nao gets the news, because it would take some time for the ANBU to return.

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Kishimoto owns Naruto and all its **canon** characters.

* * *

 _Day 0_

"I'm sorry, Kakashi-senpai." The masked man said as his blade slid like butter into my left shoulder; moving all the way through skin, muscle, and bone before piercing out the other side and pinning me to the ground.

I hadn't dodged fast enough.

"Why are you doing this, Kinoe?" I asked, gritting my teeth through the pain. "We're friends, comrades of the same village."

He had betrayed me, which meant I'd have to fight him now, and most likely to the death. How could I live with that, killing the boy who called me Senpai? The one I'd fondly come to think of as a Kohai? Sensei had warned me that Kinoe was Root and therefore dangerous, but I'd still asked for missions with him. He wasn't completely brainwashed like the other Root members; rather than working mindlessly, Kinoe had started forming his own opinions and feelings on things.

It was why I'd saw some hope for him.

I had wanted to save him from Danzo's clutches.

"Tell me why?"

"I can't…" Kinoe gasped, and immediately I understood.

The Root seal on his tongue. He couldn't say anything even if he wanted to, because that seal would kill him before he got the chance. I tried to stall for time, to wait for our other teammate to show up, but in the back of my mind I knew it would be in vain. Kinoe was smart, he wouldn't have chosen a time where he might be interrupted to strike. The question is what spurred him to do this in the first place?

I tried to think clearly, but something was wrong. My body started to feel apathetic, and heavy like I was being dragged under water. My thought process seemed to slow, as if the words I was looking for were just out of reach. I hadn't lost enough blood to be remotely in such a state, and a theory dawned on me.

"Poison?" I pondered aloud.

"Paralyzing sedative." Kinoe corrected. "It's the kind we use to take prisoners in. It will numb you while draining most of your chakra, and take the pain away. You'll feel like you're falling asleep senpai; please don't fight it, you won't feel a thing."

I wouldn't have been able to anyway; the agent had circled and spread in my bloodstream by now. The walls felt as if they were beginning to spin leisurely, and I fought to keep my eyes open. How had it come to this? My gaze followed Kinoe's hand as it drew a kunai and grew closer. The weapon came down toward my neck in a quick motion, and I could do nothing but watch helplessly as my death drew near.

There was a second of pause, and when he jerked back my mind wondered deliriously if he'd cut me open and I just couldn't feel it. The idea was dismissed when he dropped the kunai –free of blood- from his now shaking hand. It was clear to me then that Kinoe truly didn't want to kill me. Did that mean he had been ordered to by Danzo?

Empathy and sadness washed through me as Kinoe stood there, shoulders trembling and expression in despair. I had been like him, long ago; someone who followed orders to a T, and didn't think twice about anything other than the mission. When I had thought Obito was dead, that had changed though. I understood his struggle, stuck having to choose between a comrade and the mission. It seemed my life would always be caught in this conflict. First my father, then with Obito and Rin, and now here I was again; this time though, it was my life being decided.

Perhaps this was just karma, coming back for me once more. I had evaded death more times than I could count, and now I was about to be taken down by the person I had been trying to help. This should have made me angry, or maybe even vengeful; but in reality, I simply couldn't bring myself to blame Kinoe. After all, I had chosen the mission over saving a comrade once, so I understood. His hand was being forced because I had failed him, and I felt guilty.

Could I carry some of his burden?

"Kinoe." I spoke sluggishly. "It's okay, don't be upset. I forgive you."

"I don't… I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…"

"I know."

It was irony at its finest, that I was going to die in a cave of all places.

What would Obito say, I wonder?

Kinoe was sobbing, but the sound seemed so far away in my slipping state of consciousness. I couldn't think straight, my mind wandering to Konoha and the breakfast table at Sensei's. Was everyone crowded around it, smiling and having a good time? Where was Nao, who didn't normally have breakfast with us?

My eye drooped closed and images swirled behind my lids. Naruto taking his first steps, Rin blowing out the candles on her eighteenth birthday, Obito going overboard and buying her six presents because he couldn't decide on one, Sensei's wedding ceremony, Nao making sarcastic remarks in her alarmingly yellow dress, Kushina strutting in the kitchen with little Nao over her shoulder.

The memories give me some sense of peace, and I think maybe dying doesn't feel so bad. The smell of smoke appears, and warning bells go off distantly in my head. I ignore them; reveling in the serenity I had begun to feel.

Blinding pain erupts from my leg.

And I fade away into nothingness.

* * *

 _Day 2_

For a long time, I drift through unconsciousness.

Eventually though, the pain brings me to.

It's awful, and I moan in distress. I was pretty sure death wasn't supposed to hurt like this, so that meant it hadn't come for me, yet. Each breath is a jolt of pain, and any joy I might have felt at being alive is quickly overshadowed. My entire body felt oddly stiff, my throat dry enough for some time to have passed.

Forcing my eye open, I blinked until my vision was clear before examining what I could see of my surroundings. Very little of what I saw made sense; I was in the cave still, but it was scorched, like someone had lit the place aflame. Kinoe wasn't anywhere near fire elements, and briefly I pondered on where he could have learned to use a jutsu that was literally the opposite of his element.

It was a thought for another day.

With every breath I breathed the tantō rubbed against me, and I decided that would have to come out before I did anything else. I had to twist my head to properly see the blade that stuck out just beneath my collar bone. I wasn't a doctor, but judging from the angle it had gone in, the blade had probably just missed my lung. There was a small pool of drying blood, so either it was keeping me from bleeding out, or the tantō hadn't made a fatal wound.

I racked my brain, pulling up various images of human anatomy Rin had once made Obito and I copy with our sharingan after a particularly brutal mission when she'd ' _had enough of our stupendous lack of basic medical knowledge, for kami's sake.'_. The memory was a fond one, but I pushed it away in favor of the chart I was looking for. There was an artery just above the lung that went down to my arm, and I'd have to be careful not to nick it pulling the tantō out.

I wiggled the fingers of my right hand and clenched them, testing their use. The sedative must have been out of my system, because I didn't seem to have any problems. As I lifted my right arm, moving it to the hilt of the blade, I ignored how it shook slightly from the pain. My fingers curled around the hilt before gripping tightly, and I took a deep breath, and I _pulled_.

The tantō resisted stubbornly before it gave and began sliding. A hiss escaped me as it did so, and when the thing was finally out I threw it to the side. Blood began to seep out of my now throbbing shoulder, but at a sluggish pace like the wound was already half closed and I'd simply reopened it. It was possible of course; I had no way of knowing how long I'd been out. I struggled to get up now that I was no longer pinned to the ground

My entire body shifted as I sat up, and pain shot up my right leg, making me intake sharply. The pain was a familiar one, so even though my leg was covered I was sure it had been broken. I leaned forward, trying not to move my lower body as I grasped at the pant leg, pulling it up to the edge of my thigh. There was a lot of swelling and some discoloration a few inches above my knee, but the bone seemed to still be in place, so that was probably good.

I let the material fall as I inspected the cave more closely. The entrance was to my left, and I could see sunlight shining in. The walls, ceiling, and floor all had charred marks; in a corner where the supplies had been was a large pile of ashes. It had all been burnt, and the patterns looked similar to an attack. So then, Kinoe had spared me, broken my leg, and set multiple fires?

No, I was looking at it wrong. He must not have been able to deal the fatal blow, so instead he made sure I couldn't walk and probably hoped I'd die of my wounds. The fire would be his way of explaining my death to the other ANBU teammate; my chakra was at a level where it wouldn't have been detectable.

No one would have known I was alive.

Did this mean Kinoe could be redeemed then? Maybe he had left me here to die, but he hadn't flat out killed me like Danzo had probably ordered him to. Technically speaking, Kinoe had gone against a direct order, so perhaps there was hope for him after all, whether he knew it or not. That was something I'd think on later though; right now, I would worry about why Danzo wanted me dead.

I hadn't been able to fully infiltrate Root like Minato-sensei had wanted me to. There was an abundance of suspicion on Danzo right now, and he was being cautious with his moves lately. As Hokage, Sensei could have had Root disbanded by now, but that wasn't really a solution. No, the problem was Danzo and the obvious craving he had for power. He couldn't be trusted to disband Root if given the order, and Minato-sensei was beginning to doubt his loyalty to Konoha.

I'd been sent to dig up any evidence proving the elder's treason; if he wanted me dead, then I must have been close to finding something. The thought gave me some relief in the face of my current situation. Taking Danzo down would bring Nao one step closer to safety, and it was why I'd jumped at the chance in the first place. It was no secret that Danzo had his eye on her, and likely wanted to initiate her into Root or something equally sinister. I had failed to protect Nao once; it wouldn't happen again, not while I was breathing.

A plan formed in my mind and I took stock of the supplies I had left. My own tantō was in its sheath on my back, and my weapons pouch was still there; holding ten shuriken, six kunai, some wire and a bottle of soldier pills. I had no food or water, so finding those would be the first course of action. I couldn't move until I did something about my leg though, so that became first priority.

Taking my tantō off my back, I broke the sheath into two pieces, using them as a splint for my leg; then I ripped the strap in half and tied the fabric to hold it in place. The finished result was crude and probably wouldn't do for my journey back to Konoha, but that was fine; I'd find a crutch for support once I got out of this damn cave. I dry swallowed a soldier pill, feeling the instantaneous change on my pitiful chakra reserves.

Crawling towards the entrance, I used to mouth of the cave to lift myself up. My body protested in pain, but there wasn't much of a choice here and I simply forced myself forward. The first few steps were shaky, and my leg was screaming in torment after thirty seconds. Thankfully I was surrounded by trees, which I could use as support while I looked for a water source.

The sun was high in the sky, and I estimated the time to be around two in the afternoon. Konoha was south of here, and I walked in that direction for hours, pausing for breaks when I felt I'd collapse. The sun was beginning to set when I finally stumbled across a stream. It wasn't much, maybe a foot and a half deep, but the sight was a welcome one to my eye. I ended up laying at its edge, sipping cool water and enjoying the feel of it soothing my parched throat.

It was the middle of March, and the heat wasn't too unbearable, but the exercise was tough on the weakened state of my body and I had become sweaty from the exertion. I was half tempted to roll into the stream at this point; the only reason I didn't was because spending all night in wet clothes sounded like poor idea. After a short rest I cleaned the wound on my shoulder as best as I could. The area was tender and sore when I finished, and I didn't bother wrapping it seeing as I had no clean cloth.

The last of the light was fading quickly from the sky, and I had a decision to make. Did I continue on in the dark, or find a place to sleep for the night? My chakra levels were low, too much so to use the sharingan so I'd be stumbling around in the dark if I kept going. My best bet would be to stay here for the night, and find shelter while I could.

Then again, that was easier said than done.

I wasn't capable of climbing a tree, and even if there was a cave close by I wouldn't be going in it. They seemed to bring nothing but bad luck for me. In the end, I found a nice spot in the underbrush for the night. As I settled in, my body eased in relief and I found myself thinking of Konoha once more. Had the ANBU made it there yet and reported my death? It was a slim possibility, but it had taken us four days travel to get here and I was positive I hadn't been unconscious that long.

One thing was for sure, I wouldn't make it back before them. It was almost a two week walk at civilian pace, and I was injured. I could use chakra to enforce my broken leg when I had enough of it, but that wasn't a permanent solution and it would probably only bring me up to regular civilian pace. Everyone would have heard news of my death by the time I actually made it back, I pondered for a moment on how my friends and family would feel when they were told.

Devastated, I supposed.

Maybe Obito would come looking for me; after all, we'd gone through something similar as a team. I doubted he would just leave it alone; the idiot would probably storm out here and find me. It had become an unspoken agreement between him and me, that neither of us would ever accept the other dead unless we saw a body or some other hard evidence. Rin would follow after him of course, and then when I was found she could heal my leg.

How long would it take them to come after me?

At least a couple of days, I thought; and I could use that time to keep going and possibly meet them half way. Though maybe I should give my leg a day of rest; I'd be in better condition all around if I did, and a day wouldn't hurt. They wouldn't be coming for another three anyway, and Rin will probably fuss less if I take the time to heal a bit. Plus, I needed some time to gather food and water before I could even think of heading off.

How lucky Sensei would be, to have two students listed as KIA return home alive. Kushina would probably throw a party, knowing her. I remembered the feeling of losing Obito, and I pitied everyone that was about to share my experience. When team Minato had started out, none of us had had an actual family. Over the years we'd simply become one, so maybe it was wrong, but I was thankful that I wouldn't have to be the one grieving this time around.

Who would take it the worst?

Maybe Naruto, who was too young to understand the concept of death; he had a big heart, and I didn't think he'd cope well with loss in the future. Sensei would be understandably grief-stricken, but he was a pillar of strength and would keep everyone together. I already knew what Obito and Rin would do, though that didn't mean they'd take the news well. Honestly, there was only one person whose reaction I was genuinely worried about.

And it was Nao.

She may be a six year old like Naruto, but that was the only similarity between the children. Unlike him Nao had a firm grasp on how the world worked, and she was far too intelligent to not understand the meaning of death. While Naruto was very free with his emotions and openly friendly with others, Nao was his absolute opposite. Now, that wasn't to say she wasn't a cheerful person; she was just more mature in her ways.

Nao didn't let many people close, and she was cautious when it came to showing her thoughts and emotions. For some reason, she had opened up to me and in the process the brat managed to worm her way into my heart. Children weren't wary like she seemed to be without a reason, and I had wondered for a while now what hers had been.

Perhaps it was the hesitant way people reacted to her.

Nao had a captivating presence about her that could catch any nearby person's attention simply by walking in the room; oddly enough, she could also make herself blend into the walls when she didn't want to be seen, and yet it didn't seem to be something she was aware of either.

Then there was the unnerving way she looked at a person, like she knew something the rest of the world didn't. Nao also had a habit of being able to project her feelings, such as disappointment, at a person without saying a word. If that wasn't enough to unsettle the civilians then the way she spoke like a full grown adult probably did it. She reminded me of myself at that age, and maybe that was why we got along so well.

That was beside the point though. Nao had decided to let me in, and now she was about to get news of my death. There was a strange vulnerability to her when Nao opened up; she turned out to be affectionate physically where previously she would subconsciously shift away from someone's touch. It was endearing, to see the change as she became completely at ease in my company.

Watching a tiny thing like Nao, who was so guarded with the people around her, put her trust in you? It practically ensured no one who had it would ever break the faith she had given them. Now I worried that I might have ended up causing some serious damage. What would happen when I was assumed dead? Would she regress, and withdraw into herself? I couldn't imagine her acting out or anything of the sort, but I also didn't see her accepting this without some kind of proof.

Maybe she'd reject the idea all together.

You never really knew with Nao.

* * *

 _Day 8 (Day 4 for Nao)_

In the end, I spent two days by the stream.

The first one was actually when I rested, and on the second I gathered what supplies I could. I'd been traveling off and on for the past four days since then, and news should have reached Konoha by now. I estimated it'd be another day or two before Obito left to come find me, and probably a couple more days until he actually did. I'd found a strong stick to use as a crutch, and it helped a bit but I wasn't moving as fast as I'd like to, and it was beginning to frustrate me.

I wasn't used to being such an invalid, and the amount of things I couldn't do because of an injured leg was irritating. My chakra levels were pitiful still, and I longed for them to be at an acceptable portion where I could enforce my leg to keep moving for longer periods of time. I knew that wasn't going to happen though; and the main motivator that pushed me forward was the thought of Rin's soothing medical chakra.

Yesterday I stumbled upon a village. I'd been half tempted to go and stay there, send a letter to Minato-sensei; instead, I circled around it and stayed off the main road. Danzo had spies in many places, and I was too recognizable. If he found out I was alive, or intercepted any letter I sent before it could get to Sensei, then he would send Root agents after me. In my state there was no way I'd be able to take even one on, and I had enough food and water that I didn't need to stop so I hadn't risked it.

There was a lot of spare time, and I spent it day dreaming. Kushina's cooking was something I sorely missed, and after this I didn't think I'd ever skip a dinner again. I had decided the first thing I would do after I was home would be to take a nice long steaming hot shower; cold rivers were only enjoyable once in a while. I'll be off the mission roster for a while, maybe I'd read that book Jiraiya had written; it was still on a shelf, probably collecting dust. What else?

Oh, and I'd murder Danzo.

I could probably get away with it, too.

Or not, though it wouldn't stop me.

Kinoe would be free from Danzo's clutches and then I'd break _his_ leg. The thought gave me vindictive pleasure; while I didn't hate him, I was definitely holding a grudge over my leg. Perhaps that was petty of me, but I didn't particularly care; besides, it was only fair that he struggle like I currently was. Maybe I could get Obito to hold him down and help me; Kinoe was hard to catch at times. Ah, maybe not though... He might accidentally kill him for what happened.

Now that I thought about it, Kushina and Nao would too; they'd probably even team up to do it. I'd just have to be careful to never let them meet, because that combination really wasn't something I ever wanted to experience in my life. They would be lethal together, I was positive; Nao had a bone chilling disposition when provoked, and it would work well with Kushina's fiery temper.

Yes, that could never be allowed to happen.

My mind drifted, trying to find less disturbing thoughts. Rin was close to getting a promotion at the hospital, so she rarely went out on missions anymore. Would she lose some of her standing in the medical field when she and Obito came after me? Medics were supposed to be protected and a last line of defense, they weren't supposed to go gallivanting off after dead teammates like she would be doing. Then again, when we returned there wouldn't be much of an argument to be made.

Obito would definitely be in trouble, but he wouldn't care. He wasn't someone that was concerned with obeying the law, and in reality he probably thought he couldn't get in that much trouble with Sensei being the Hokage. Normally he would be wrong of course what with the elder council, but in this case? Well, he could hardly be punished for bringing back his injured teammate.

Hours passed, and I decided that traveling alone like a civilian was truly the most tedious thing I'd ever done. Not that I actually wanted company, per say; at least, not the civilian kind. Anyone I personally knew from Konoha would have been fine at this point; even that stoic Uchiha heir would do compared to the dull repetitiveness. He had become Nao's new ANBU guard, if I recalled; she was probably bending the poor boy to her will and wrapping him around her finger, along with the other one.

That reminded me, Naruto and her would have started the academy sometime around last week. Ah, Nao must have been angry I had missed the first day; maybe she'd forget in all the chaos when I came back. I wondered if they had gotten their ranks yet, and what they were. Naruto had been preparing for the academy with Kushina, so his rank would likely be in the top five. Nao was competitive and clever; I'd no doubt she was in first place for the girls if not rookie of the year.

Night began to fall and I found shelter in between the giant roots of a tree. My shoulder ached and throbbed, but the pain was nothing compared to my leg. It was becoming more unbearable at the end of each day, but I didn't have much of a choice other than to keep going. It had been four days since the stream though, so surely Obito would be on his way soon if he wasn't already? If that was the case then I could afford to take more breaks.

He would come straight in my direction, so I would need to keep my sensing range open; knowing him and with my luck, Obito would pass right by me. I'd be in fire country in another four days, but the thought of missing him and having to make my way back all on my own made me shudder. All this travel was wearing down on me, and I had never been so eager to be healed by Rin.

I wouldn't be able to relax once I entered fire country either. Towns would still be off limits, and I'd have to avoid all people _and_ Konoha ninja. There was no way for me to know who I could trust, so unless I happened across a leaf nin I personally knew, I wasn't going to take any chances. Paranoia was a shinobi's best friend, and I had that in buckets; it helped me stay alert even in sleep and kept me on my toes.

This would all be easier if I could just summon Pakkun.

I had about an eighth of chakra, but my reserves wouldn't be replenishing much more. It was an effect of the sedative, which tricked one's body into thinking its reserves were full. This was useful for when prisoners were taken to T&I because the single injection would last up to a month, giving plenty of time for people like Morino Ibiki to do their work. I didn't have my ANBU mask to cover my sharingan, and my eye slipped open every once in a while, draining a bit of chakra each time.

Now, I had enough chakra to summon the pack, but the outcome wouldn't be worth the effort.

Even if I sent any of my ninken to Konoha with a message, I couldn't guarantee they would even make it that far. My chakra would likely drain before one got close, and then the effort would have been in vain. There were also the similar problems I'd have with sending a message or letter. My pack was all recognizable, so even if they made it to Konoha they would tip Danzo off. There was also the risk of them being recognized before reaching Konoha and being intercepted.

There were simply too many variables.

I couldn't let Danzo see me coming until I was right outside the village gates. There was also the possibility of running into bandits, and if Obito wasn't with me at the time then I needed to conserve my chakra just in case. I went through various plans mentally about the best way to deal with Danzo and Root when I returned, but so far most ideas had been discarded. This would take some careful thinking and scheming, but so far I had time.

I would be patient and logical about this.

Danzo had become a threat to my family, and that was a mistake.

Because he would go down in ashes for it.

Anything else was unacceptable.

* * *

 _Day 14 (day 10 for Nao)_

Rin was going to kill me.

I had been so busy ignoring the pain in my leg that I hadn't taken much notice of the stab wound in my shoulder. Now the area was tender and red from the beginnings of infection. While I had been careful to clean the wound, there hadn't been any clean cloth to wrap it in and I didn't want to use a dirty cloth for fear it'd infect the wound.

Look where that had gotten me.

As if that wasn't enough, it was getting harder to walk without having to take more and more breaks. My breast plate and the rest of my armor had been shed and left behind to lighten the weight. It made little difference in the long run though, because the problem lay with the crude splint I had made over a week ago. Well, actually it was my broken leg that was the problem, but I couldn't exactly fix that.

The splint I had made kept loosening and falling apart, just as I'd thought it would. Even if I fixed that though, I wasn't sure if it would make enough of a difference. I had difficulty navigating the forest and all its roots, which was making my journey longer than taking an actual road would. Sacrifices had to be made though, and traveling along the road while being an obviously injured and solitary ninja would bring more trouble and attention to me then it was worth.

Obito and Rin would find me any day now, so I could afford to struggle a bit until they arrived. The last thing I needed was to be ambushed because moving through the forest was _too hard_. I was in no condition to take a group of people on, even if I would probably win anyway. Rin would scold me for sure and it would all be a mess, so I was trying to avoid that.

But luck wasn't on my side today.

I had kept my sensing range open, and I could feel eight genin level chakra signatures when they were a quarter mile away. Unfortunately, they seemed to know I was here because they headed straight for me; there was no point in hiding then. It pained me to think I'd have to use the sharingan on such weak opponents, but it had to be done. I couldn't move and dodge as quickly with my leg and my left shoulder couldn't lift properly to throw a kunai.

I really didn't want to leave this fight with anymore injuries than I already had, so I would have to end this quickly. The group arrived, hopping from the trees and at once I was surrounded; I couldn't help but slouch and sigh tiredly. Here I was, having my path blocked by the most pathetic bunch of bandits I'd ever seen. All I wanted was to get _home_ and to my wonderful bed where I could _sleep_.

Was that too much to ask for?

"Well, what do we have here?" One of them said, clearly the leader. "An injured ninja, all on his own? Where could you be headed to, I wonder?"

"He doesn't look like he has anything of worth on him." Another said from behind me. "Should we even bother with this one, Mitsuru? He hasn't even got a hitai-ate."

Ah, yes.

Go away.

"He's obviously going somewhere." Mitsuru replied. "Maybe we can turn him in for a reward, if he's a deserter. I doubt it though; we're in fire country and he's headed toward Konohagakure. I'm willing to bet he's with them."

"Then we can't just let him go, can we?" Said a man to my left. "Can't have him coming back with some friends."

"Exactly." Mitsuru hummed.

He stepped forward, and I opened my other eye. Immediately he was caught in a genjutsu, along with three others who foolishly met my gaze. Instincts told me to duck, and I did so, dodging two kunai which I plucked out of the air. After spinning and catching the other four in a genjutsu as well, I considered my options here. The group had seen my sharingan, and could likely identify me.

I slit each of their throats and went through their supplies. There was a decent supply of food and water, enough for another week for me. I added another weapon pouch to my belt, filled with kunai and surprisingly, explosive tags. I didn't touch any money or stolen goods; the added weight would be another burden I certainly didn't need. Fate seemed to smile down on me, because I found something unexpected yet appreciated.

A first aid kit.

It looked pretty basic, and it was fully stocked. I sat down a few yards away from the bodies and got to work. Sterilizing the wound on my shoulder was painful in a refreshing way, like pulling a kunai out of one's skin; it hurt, but at least it wasn't in you anymore. There were bandages, but I didn't move to those right away. First, I grabbed a senbon and some wire, sterilizing those before beginning to sew both front and back of my shoulder wound shut.

It was slow going and oddly difficult to do at this angle, but I finished in no time. The feeling of wire jerking against my skin wasn't a pleasant one, but there wasn't anything in the kit to stitch me up, so I had to make do. It was only after that was done when I finally bandaged the wound up. There wasn't much I could do for my leg; I found some gauze, which I used to wrap around the splint and steady it against my thigh.

The kit was too bulky to carry along with me, so I dumped what I needed into an extra pouch, which also went on my belt. The sterilizing liquid went in first after I was sure the top was closed tight. Then I threw in some bandages, the soldier pills from my weapons pouch, and after discovering a bottle of pain pills I swallowed two and added the rest. None of the items weighed much other than the weapons, and it hardly mattered anyway because I needed everything I had taken.

The fight had lasted maybe two minutes from the moment I'd been surrounded, but I had killed over an hour between the first aid and stocking up. That was an hour of sunlight I had wasted, and the thought annoyed me. I had managed to make my way into fire country, but there was still a long way to go and the constant breaks I had to take were slowing me down enough without any extra issues.

With an exhausted sigh I continued on my way.

It had been ten days since word would have reached Konoha, and I had expected Obito to have found me by now. The idea that he might have been on a mission and out of the village before someone could tell him had crossed my mind. It was possible, but also highly unlikely as well. Obito didn't particularly like going on missions with other teams, and since there were so many Uchiha to pick from he was never forced to because of a certain skill set or anything.

Rin _rarely_ went on missions; she was so focused on her work at the hospital, she didn't have time for them usually. If I was out and she was busy working then Obito wasn't taking any missions. He was probably working at the Uchiha police station, which was what he did for income until he grew bored and demanded the three of us take a mission together, ' _like the good old days_ '.

So then, where was he?

Maybe he had gotten himself into trouble on the way; it was something he'd do. Plus, Obito was chronically late for everything, so it was fair to assume he'd be late this time as well. Of course, that didn't mean I'd forgive him; Obito was twenty years old for Kami's sake, he had years to grow out of this habit. I'd beat it out of him if he was ever late after this.

Using the sharingan even for the short amount of time I had still took its toll on my body. It had drained a bit of my reserves, so I grew tired quickly as the day wore on. The only thing that kept me going was the thought of Danzo and putting my plan into action. I had looked at it from every angle and revised a hundred times, just for something to do.

Admittedly, I still wasn't satisfied.

The first thing I'd do was get to the Hokage tower, obviously. I needed to work fast, give Danzo the least amount of time possible to make any moves. Kinoe would have to be called in right away, because I didn't know what Danzo would do once he found out Kinoe had clearly lied to him and disobeyed orders. Hopefully Sensei and Jiraiya had finished working out a way around the Root seal, though it was a little early on our schedule. If they _had_ done it then we could get a direct confession from Kinoe that Danzo had ordered him to assassinate me.

That right there was treason, maybe not enough for his execution but it would be the stepping stone needed to get there. Kinoe would have more information and from the way he hadn't been able to kill me, I was willing to bet he was beginning to doubt Root and the way it went against his forming beliefs. This would only work though if the seal could be nullified somehow.

In the event that it couldn't, there were other options. Danzo wanted me gone for a _reason_ , and I was positive I had found out why. There had been a strange tattoo on Kinoe's shoulder I had spotted once, and it had seemed familiar. I realized why after seeing a similar one on Mitarashi Anko, who had been experimented on by Orochimaru and left behind when he deserted.

Kinoe had been an experiment too.

Except he hadn't been left behind.

There simply was no way Orochimaru would have left him behind, not with his elemental abilities that rivaled the first Hokage's. The only reason Kinoe could have ended up in Danzo's hands would be if the elder had been in the know on Orochimaru's experiments. There would be proof of that somewhere, in Root's headquarters and l knew how to get in.

Kinoe would have informed Danzo of my interest in his 'tattoo' after my inquiries about it, which would have made the elder even more suspicious of me. If he had been watching he would have seen me digging around; it was the only thing that made sense as to why he had needed me dead. So I must have been too close to figuring it out and Danzo couldn't have that.

Even accusing the man would be enough to turn suspicion on him. That wasn't an option here though. We would only have one shot at this, and Sensei knew it too; that was why he'd sent me to find evidence before he finally took action. If we accused Danzo without hard proof, then he would have it all destroyed while we scrambled around attempting to find some. No, this would have to be done quickly and without a way for him to make any decisions.

The elder council along with Sensei's advisers would have to be there as witnesses, and Danzo's execution would need to be immediate after his guilt was declared. Any other way would give him room to come up with a plan and that couldn't be allowed. As soon as I returned Root would have to be infiltrated for the evidence, unless the seal had been dealt with.

There was no other way.

Because we only had one chance at this.

Failure wasn't an option.

* * *

 _Day 22_ _(18 for Nao)_

Obito had never come for me.

I wasn't sure how to feel about this, so I simply didn't think about it. My shoulder wound was free of infection (though the stitches itched), and my leg hurt like a bitch. I was ready to cut it off just to be relieved from the pain. Of course, by now there wasn't much of a point in doing so; I was almost to Konoha. Whether it was luck or something else, I'd never know, but not once had I crossed paths with a fellow shinobi of the leaf. For once, something was actually going my way, and I wasn't going to question it.

Well, I was; just not out loud.

When you've been a ninja as long as I have, you learn to trust your instincts. Now, that said, mine weren't exactly going off, but that didn't mean I wasn't paranoid about the lack of bad luck. Normally, when something goes your way, it's too good to be true. So I was cautious as my feet limped closer to home, and as the sun began to set nothing happened.

Yet.

When night fell, I didn't bother stopping; I was far too close to even consider it. If I continued moving, I would probably be at the gates by dawn. The very thought had my heart pounding in excitement, because though I was loath to admit it, I had missed everyone.

I missed teaming up with Kushina and teasing Obito about confessing to Rin, and Naruto's 'sneak attacks' he pulled on me. I missed family dinners and team training, the peaceful nights where I could fall into bed and relax. Meeting up with acquaintances when Rin dragged Obito and I to the bar, or helping Minato-sensei work out political issues while he groaned about them. I missed Nao, with her blunt tone and quick wit.

Kami, I was worried about her. Would she still sit in my lap and toss insults back and forth, or did she resent me for dying? Not that I would have been able to help it, but you can't reason with fragility. Naruto would be taken care of, but who would do that for Nao? She wouldn't except anyone's comfort, or let herself be taken care of. What, exactly, was I about to come back to?

That question plagued me for most of the night, because I wasn't sure anymore; about my feelings or anyone else's. I was happy to be back in Konoha, but to be honest, I had never even considered that I might be coming back alone. It had been hard, and the whole time I'd been waiting for Obito to come find me. My faith in him had waned over the days, and then weeks. Once he got an idea in his head, there was no stopping him. Eventually I had to face the truth, which was he had never thought to leave Konoha.

That hurt.

It didn't make sense to me that he could simply accept that fact that I had died, after everything our team had gone through. It hadn't even been a month, but I had started to wonder if anyone was holding out hope; or if they didn't care as much as I'd thought and had moved on. A week ago I wouldn't have even considered it, but now? Were the bonds I'd made in Konoha as strong as I had assumed?

Maybe Nao wasn't as attached as I had thought, and Sensei had moved on with the plan right away. Had Kushina or Rin cried for me? Did anyone give me a funeral, and if so, had it been out of obligation or grief? I was beginning to doubt many things, and I didn't want to but the last few days had been invaded with similar thoughts. For so long, these people had kept me going.

Now I didn't know what to think.

Night passed and the sky began to lighten with the beginnings of dawn. Not a single problem had arisen, other than my own doubts and in the distance I swore I could see the village gates. After a couple minutes, I was proved right, and despite my worries I found myself hurrying my pace. I was so close, the personal hell my journey had been was coming to an end.

I kept both eyes open, so I'd never forget this moment.

As the rising sun gave me a better view of Konoha's gates, open like they had been expecting me, something caught my attention. Right in the center of the gates, was a figure; absolutely tiny against the huge walls of the village. I would have probably missed it, had I not been using the sharingan or were it any other time of day.

The sunrise had painted the sky with hues of pink and orange, making the tips of the trees come alive in contrast while its light shone down over the village warmly. Everything about Konoha was forest like, and the green seemed to complement its current surroundings. That was why the figure stuck out like a sore thumb, a beautiful surprise that lit up with the dawning sky.

A head full of long red hair in twin tails, facing the rising sun.

There was really only one person it could be. I didn't understand why she was here, at this early hour nonetheless. There really wasn't a good explanation for it, what with school today among other things. Her face turned to me, though I could only tell because of my heightened senses. A hand shielded her eyes from the sun, and suddenly a thought dawned on me.

Had Nao been waiting for me?

Abruptly, she broke into a sprint, out of the gates and toward me. The gate guards were the only ones there apparently, because no one else had bothered to stop her. At the speed she was going, I wasn't sure anyone could. Nao didn't slow down when she grew near, and I had barely a second to brace myself before she barreled into me. She wrapped her arms around my waist, and I could feel her body shaking. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

"Maa, be gentle with me, Usagi-chan."

"You're home." She trembled.

"I'm home." I echoed, setting a hand on her head.

"Don't take so damn long next time." Nao mumbled, choking on a sob. "Stupid Bakashi, you made me wait."

"I'm sorry, don't cry okay?"

"… I'm _not_ crying."

* * *

 **Nao P.O.V.**

Kakashi was an idiot.

First, he didn't mention his _broken leg_ until we had gone all the way through the village and up the Hokage tower to Minato's office. Why Minato was there and not at home, I didn't know. Only when he inquired as to why Bakashi was limping did we find out about the damage.

"Maa, right. About that, I have a broken leg and a stab wound; could you send for Rin?"

I about fell over in shock.

How the hell had he walked with a broken leg? Wasn't that supposed to be painful and hmm, impossible? But no, apparently not, because he had walked right up the stairs without an ounce of pain on his face. Minato had fluttered his hands about like a worried mother hen after their little reunion, and he sent someone off to find Rin.

"If you're seriously injured," I said through gritted teeth. "Maybe instead of getting Rin-san, we could go to, gee, I don't know, a _hospital_?!"

"No time for that." Kakashi said, before addressing Minato. "Sensei, you need to get ANBU operative Cat from my last mission here, and quickly."

"Of course." Minato replied. "I'd _love_ to hear about how he could have possibly made such a mistake, informing me of your death."

There was a menacing quality to his voice.

"It's a long story-" Kakashi began only to be interrupted by the office door slamming open. Obito stood in the entrance, huffing like he'd ran the whole way here; Rin was behind him, trying to shove her way through.

"Move and let Rin-san through." I snapped at him. "Bakashi's injured and needs healing. And go sit down you idiot!"

The last part was directed at Kakashi, who was still standing. My lack of patience seemed to get everything going, because in seconds Kakashi was on the couch while Rin did her medic thing and Obito started all but wailing. This set Rin off and then she started crying too, which made Kakashi laugh while Minato looked on fondly. While they were distracted, my mind was flying.

Kakashi had been _stabbed_.

I just knew it had something to do with his ANBU friends. God, when I found out which of them did it, I was going to break that person's hands. My rage seared before melting away and leaving an ice cold calmness in its wake. There was more going on here than I knew, and I wouldn't be going _anywhere_ until I had all the pieces and fit them together. One thing was clear as day to me, and it was that someone had attacked him and left Kakashi to die; I was going to find out who, and it would be today.

They would pay for that.

A knock sounded from the door, and Minato beckoned the visitor in. It turned out to be the ANBU, who came and kneeled before his Hokage. Vaguely I wondered if that one was in league with Danzo. I sincerely hoped not, because if Danzo was behind this like I had once feared, then there would be no mercy for him. I'd turned away from confrontation with him in the past because I hadn't thought it worth the consequences.

A mistake on my part.

I knew Danzo and more than that I knew exactly what he was capable of, and somehow I had gotten it in my head that he would be little more than a fly in my plans if I remained cautious and careful. But if I found out he'd had even a teeny tiny part in this? Oh, I would make it my personal mission to _bury_ him, and it would work too; all I had to do is play my cards right. A plan formed in my mind as Rin finished healing Kakashi.

"You said to heal the bare minimum and I have." She started. "You'll need to come into the hospital after this and I mean _right_ after or your leg with probably break again, got it?"

"Right." Kakashi agreed. "I'll catch up with you two later then."

"Ah, could one of you take Nao-chan home?" Minato asked.

"I'm not going anywhere." My voice was soft and calm, but from the chills Obito seemed to get, it wasn't fooling anyone.

"You can't be in here right now." Minato argued.

"Oh?" I hummed, eyeing the ANBU with animosity. "Who's going to stop me then?"

The room was silent and I turned my gaze to meet Minato's, a sharp smile curled its way onto my face.

"You?" I questioned airily. "Try me, Minato. I think you'll find that today is not a day to test my patience or resolve."

The air was tense in a way that had me at ease and everyone else stiffening. I didn't know what their problem was and the thought was shoved aside in favor of staring Minato down. I didn't care that he was Hokage and I was basically defying/ threatening him, and he knew it too. I had rarely asked anything of his family and himself, and the last time I did so it was for Kakashi and I had been denied.

I wasn't asking anymore.

He could succeed in throwing me out of course, and I practically dared him to. I'd told him Kakashi was alive, and he hadn't listened to me; this time, he was going to _listen_ whether he liked it or not. I'd flip my shit and go into tailed beast mode to get his attention, and Kurama would let me because he'd get the chance to destroy bits of Konoha. Maybe that sounded like an over-reaction, but I didn't care.

For eighteen days I'd been trying to tell him, and I had been right.

"Kakashi had suffered for almost a month, and do you know why?" I chirped. "It's because of you, Minato. I'd begged you to listen, but you wouldn't hear it. So tell me, what kind of damage will I have to inflict in order for you to hear me this time?"

I could practically see the gears turning in his head.

"…Alright," Minato said. "You can stay. I assume you understand that nothing you hear leaves this room?"

I nodded and Kakashi sputtered.

"Sensei?" He spoke bewildered.

"Shut up Bakashi." I eyed him. "I'm still mad at you about not going to the hospital."

Today really wasn't one to piss me off.

"Nao-chan will find out for herself anyway if I made her leave." Minato consoled him. "She's too smart for her own good; and who knows, maybe she'll be of help. After all, she kept saying you'd be back, and here you are."

"Right." He sighed.

The ANBU was still kneeling in the center of the room, and I moved behind and to the side of Minato, who was directly in front of him. The person wore a mask, styled like a cat. I was pleasantly surprised with Minato ordered it off, and I got a look at the man who instantly attained my attention. I knew exactly who he was, and suddenly my suspicions were confirmed.

Yamato had clearly been the one to attack Kakashi, and that meant Danzo was after his eye. He was such a good target as well, because the Uchiha clan would be less inclined to rage over it if his eye was stolen rather than a member of their clan. Yamato would have been ordered to kill Kakashi and take it. Judging from the fact that he hadn't done so, I was going to guess that the two had bonded like in the series.

That didn't mean I'd forgive him.

"There's a reasonable explanation for this." Kakashi began. "That is, if you worked out the thing Jiraiya and you were trying to fix?"

What?

"We haven't, not yet." Minato murmured. "The seal is too tricky, I haven't figured out how to get around it."

Seal?

Did they mean…?

"Then we'll have to work fast." Kakashi muttered, getting up from the couch. "Don't let him leave the office, he's in danger. And don't worry about what you say, I trust him."

Great, trust the man that almost killed you.

"Where are you going?" Minato asked.

"Root. We need evidence and that's where it will be."

Alarm seized me. He wasn't even fully healed and he wanted to break in there? What kind of stupid were these people? I needed to stall and lead them to a better plan than total elimination, because that's where they were headed.

"Show me the seal." I blurted. "And Kakashi, I don't know what you're doing but I can literally _feel_ how moronic it is, so knock it off and don't be short sighted."

Kakashi paused, looking a bit stunned by my frank attitude. Thankfully Minato had some tact, and after a shrug he handed me a paper with an image on it.

"That's a seal." He explained. "It makes it so you can't speak about certain things. I don't know how to turn it off or remove it without hurting someone."

"Where does it go?" I asked even though I already knew.

"On the tongue." Minato answered. "This man has one and we need to remove it."

I eyed Kinoe (Yamato) for a moment before moving right in front of his face and commanding he say 'ahhh'. He didn't until Kakashi said it was okay to do so, which was annoying. After seeing the seal, I knew it was too far back to simply cut off. Though I wasn't sure that would even work anyway.

"Well," I hummed. "It's certainly there. Where's this Root place, and why are we sending the injured one there, because that sounds like a terrible idea. Is it in the village or far away?"

"It's in the village." Kakashi answered. "And the rest is for later. We don't have much time so-"

"If it's in Konoha." I said loudly. "Then why isn't the Hokage going? You know, the person in charge of the whole place? There isn't anywhere you aren't allowed to go, right Minato?"

"Yes, but we don't want anyone to see us coming." Minato said. "I'm not exactly inconspicuous, Nao-chan."

"I see." I said contemplatively. "Is it a dangerous place then?"

"Yes." They said in unison.

I'm sensing a bad idea.

"With scary, bad people?"

"That's correct." Minato replies.

Too late now.

"Well then, that isn't where I'd send a recovering shinobi." I chimed. "In fact, I think sending any shinobi would be a bad idea. If, say, a child accidentally wandered in though, curious one that she is, and was caught that would hardly be evidence burning worthy. And if this poor child ended up being a distraction and causing a ruckus while her _very concerned_ guards looked for her and stumbled upon highly suspicious files or whatnot? Being the dedicated ANBU they were, those guards would be obligated to confiscate such things."

Kakashi opened his mouth to speak, but I wasn't finished yet.

"And surely matters of national security take precedence over a mere child? So the ANBU would need to bring their finds to the Hokage. The little girl would be frightened, of course. Maybe she'd send some chakra into the hiraishin tag her caring guardian had given her for emergencies? You know, after she was _successfully kidnapped twice_? Makes sense, really. I know what you're thinking 'but alas! What if the guardian _is_ the Hokage?!' well, he'd just have to send his trusty sensei -who was conveniently at his side- in his place."

A booming laugh came from behind me, and I startled.

"Trusty sensei?" Jiraiya snorted from his perch on the Hokage desk. "That's my code name?"

"Stop appearing out of thin air and scaring me!" I hissed at him. "I'm far too young for heart issues."

"Can we get back to the discussion, please?" Minato said.

"We are not sending her into Root." Kakashi monotoned. "There, end of story."

"I think it could work." Jiraiya countered. "Think about it. Danzo isn't going to expect anything nefarious of a six year old; he'll most likely be overjoyed at the chance to get his hands on her."

"Exactly!" Kakashi exclaimed. "He shouldn't be within a hundred feet of her! Sensei, please; you can't honestly agree with this."

Minato's expression said he really didn't, which was fair all things considering.

"If I can keep Danzo occupied, then no one has to even get hurt." I argued. "There _will_ be a fight if anyone else goes. I think we can all agree that I don't scare easy, and besides it's not like I'll be taking anyone on. Literally the only thing I will be doing is maintaining a distraction for a certain amount of time. Fifteen minutes from the moment I'm caught should be enough, right?"

"It's not like she'll be fighting. In fact, she'll have the less dangerous job." Jiraiya added.

"Nao is _six_." Kakashi growled.

"What were you doing at six then?" I said sassily. "Do tell. What was Itachi doing at six?"

"That's different Nao-chan and you know it." Minato berated me.

"Is it really?" I countered. "Let's face it, I may not have the skill but I also wasn't raised by ninja either. We all know mentally I'm up to par with any ordinary adult, so don't insult me. I'm not asking to fight a war, just be a distraction while someone else finishes it."

It was a solid argument in my mind. I wasn't and would never be a prodigy, but no one actually knew that. People saw what they wanted to, and all I was currently doing was using that to my advantage here; I acted like a prodigy so I _must_ be one, and in Konoha children like that were useful to the village. I was offering myself up, and Minato would be a fool to say no.

"This is going to be a disaster." He moaned in defeat.

"Probably." Jiraiya grinned. "But you have to admit, girl's got guts."

* * *

A/N

I know what you're thinking!

Why on earth is this author's note so long? Where's the rest of the chapter?!

Well, that was it.

I want you guys to know how I _struggled_ and _suffered_ through writing Kakashi's P.O.V. , all for you. I have a difficult time writing male point of views, so this isn't going to become the norm, alright?

Only when it seems like a good time for one.

God this chapter is so long, and I'm not even done!

I had an explosion of questions people PMed me, and most of them are the same so I'm going to answer them here because there are far too many.

Yes, I will do a Shikamaru P.O.V. and also a Minato one, but that's way, _way_ far in the future and really more of a maybe.

A lot of you wanted to know what else I'm working on. I'm in the process of writing two other fics right now, but they are back seated at the moment. I don't like posting new fanfics without having five chapters ready, so it's slow going.

Also I'm getting a lot of PMs about my writing so I'm just going to address this head on. If you don't like the dark undertones, or simply the way I write in general, that's fine. You are all entitled to your opinions and I fully respect them, but it isn't going to change the way I do things. Personally, I think Naruto has some serious darkness going on but maybe that's just me. Frankly, I don't think life is all sunshine and daisies; to me, it's a constant roller coaster with its ups and downs and I know I've explained this already.

Expectations & Revelations is going to be just like that, with some expectations crushed and some revelations discovered. I love hearing from you guys, and I adore when you tell me your theories, ideas, and overall thoughts; reviews are literally what drives me to work faster and write longer chapters. That said, I don't appreciate being told that I need to change my writing style. In the end, this is _my_ fanfic; so I'm going to do what _I'm_ comfortable with.

I'd say sorry, but I'm really not.

I'll just make this clear, yeah?

I refuse to be bullied into changing anything to fit someone's needs.

Please stop PMing me, because it's not happening. (You know who you are, _buddy pal_.)

If someone doesn't like the story, or doesn't want to continue reading, that's entirely up to them. Not everyone is going to like this fanfic and that's fine, you know? I have pet peeves that make me cringe whenever I read them in a fic, so I totally get it. If I can respect the feelings of my readers, then I hope I can get some in return.

99% of you guys don't have any problems doing so, and I truly love you guys for it.

Moving on…

I got an interesting question today from a reader asking what Hogwarts house Nao would be sorted into, and if it would be Ravenclaw.

The answer is a resounding _no_.

I'll admit on the surface, she seems like an obvious choice for that house. But what I think people forget is that Nao isn't a genius; she just has a shit load of information about the Naruto world and uses it to her advantage. If anything, Nao is a Slytherin because she's more clever than truly intelligent and she's extremely ambitious about her goals.

She's not selfless or extremely brave. If there is someone blocking her path to freedom, Nao will cut them down with little remorse, even if she knows the person. As the story progresses you'll see how her morals battle with her ambitions, just like I think a Slytherin's would. Another thing that makes her similar to that house is how her loyalty works. A Slytherin's loyalty and trust is hard to earn, but once you have it? There is very little they wouldn't do for you.

I really love talking about anything Harry Potter but I'll stop before my fangirl comes out.

How did we feel, watching Kakashi's faith dwindle?

I wasn't really satisfied with his part, but again, I struggled to do it as best as I could.

Anyway

Thoughts? Questions?

Please Review!

P.S. Fun fact, I was eating a mango the other day and saw a hilarious username on here follow this story, and it surprised me so much I spit mango all over my laptop and almost choked to death laughing.

I adore this website.


	14. Chapter 14

A/N

Hello my darling readers, and thank you for reviewing!

Some of you wanted to know if I had a beta, and the answer is a laughing _no._ I'm not even going to make an excuse; I didn't check for spelling errors in that last chapter. It was posted at four a.m. and nothing good ever comes out of one's actions at that hour, so I take full responsibility for any mistakes. Perhaps I should get a beta, you say.

Maybe one day.

I seem to have been a bit vague on why Minato was so sure of Kakashi's death, so let's fix that real quick! Kinoe was not the only member of Kakashi's team that fateful day. If you recall, a third member is mentioned. It's why the cave had been burnt and looked like a battle zone, to convince the third teammate Kakashi was KIA. Minato wouldn't have taken a known Root member's word for it, but the third ANBU confirming it was the nail on the coffin.

Anyway,

Enjoy this chapter!

Disclaimer: I own Nao and that's about it.

* * *

Having committed suicide once, I could honestly say that yes, I _had_ given some thought as to how I would die. In fact, I had spent an unhealthy amount of time thinking about it; I still did too, every now and then. You see, part of the whole committing suicide thing is actually planning out how to do it; the how's, where's, whether to leave a note or not, that sort of thing.

There are a disturbingly amount of ways it can be done; jumping from tall heights, hanging yourself, taking sleeping pills, leaving your car on in the garage. Honestly, the opportunities are endless; that is, until you have the epiphany that no, you don't want to feel pain, and yes you'd prefer to end it quickly. After that realization, you start forming lists in your mind, of all the best ways to end your life.

Cheerful, I know.

I'd had my own list, of course.

It was funny, how as time went on certain things faded away while others remained. I couldn't really remember what my family looked like, or my childhood home; the memories I wanted desperately to keep were nothing more than whispers in the wind now. No, instead of remembering the smell of mother's cooking, I'm stuck with a god damn death list, and other useless crap like being able to name the entire company of Thorin Okenshield.

Of course, the bad memories remained clear as well.

Six years, and I could still hear the screams of injured soldiers, the smell of gunpowder and blood. I didn't focus on those memories though, if I could help it; I'd done everything I could to push them as far from my mind as humanly possible, because even after all this time they were enough to bring me to my knees.

But I digress

In the last couple of months I'd had so many close calls, and near death experiences that subconsciously I had started to compile a new death list. This time though, it was of all the ways I'd probably get killed here. Oddly enough, death by fiery explosion was at the top of the list. With all the attacks Konoha had gone through until recently, it had been looking like a winner.

Until today, that is.

"Are you sure you're okay with this?" Itachi asked for the hundredth time.

"Yes!" I snapped back.

We were standing close to the entrance into Root, and despite the fact that I had been up all night my adrenaline was pumping. Kakashi had said we needed to get this done right away, and I agreed. It had only been about three hours since his return, but I had no doubt Danzo already knew. He couldn't be given time to make any plans, or see us coming. Taking him down was going to be difficult enough without giving him any leeway.

Strangely enough, the thought of facing Danzo wasn't what made me nervous. I was honestly more worried about accidentally being buried alive or something; that certainly wasn't on my list. The plan had been gone over with Itachi and Shisui, who had reluctantly agreed to it. I suspected they were uncomfortable with my part, though that wasn't going to stop me. Jiraiya had given me a hiraishin seal, one that he had made himself and after having preformed a couple test runs, I had faith this could work.

The plan had been to give the boys fifteen minutes; now I was wondering if it would be enough. Root must be huge, after all; what if they didn't find what we needed by then? I wish there had been more time, so that we could work out a signal. When I had pitched my plan, I'd been okay with it but now everything felt unstable. So much could go wrong, and I would have the least consequences if anything did.

That, more than anything was what I found to be mildly unsettling. This had been my plan, and yet should it fall apart I would not be the one to bear the burden. That would ultimately fall to Minato, and despite how often he pissed me off I didn't want to see him go down for this. Namikaze Minato was the best thing to ever happen to this village, and I'd fight anyone who thought otherwise. Was he a secretive bastard? Yeah. Had he the audacity to seal a Tailed Beast into my vulnerable, six year old body? For sure.

But as much as I am loathe to admit it, Minato had decent reasons for these things.

Yeah, he never told me anything important, like how the Kyubi had been released, what had actually happened to the Three tails, who the heck kept invading us, or what shifty business was going on in that ANBU report; hell, I hadn't even know he was trying to take Danzo down. However, the simple fact of the matter was I didn't have any right to know these things. I wasn't a high ranked official, I was a freaking first year at the academy and if Minato had leaked me the information I was interested in hearing then he'd be a shitty leader.

Besides, I didn't have any right to complain. I had already decided to wash my hands of Konoha's affairs; the village was not my problem, and I would not concern myself over it.

But I digress.

Minato was an outstanding Hokage; He truly cared for Konoha, and more importantly, he believed the Shinobi Nations could eventually find peace. This plan of mine had to work, because Konoha, the few people I cared for in it, needed the Fourth Hokage, and we would all be safer in a world without Danzo.

"Right,then." Shisui said in a false chipper voice. "Let's do this."

He set his hand on the area of the forest floor where Kakashi had showed him and pushed chakra into it. The ground shifted and revealed a tunnel sloping downward. I took a deep breath and started forward, glancing behind me once to get a last look at the sun. My lips curled into a grim smile as the opening closed, separating Itachi and Shisui from myself. I was thrown into darkness as my eyes adjusted to the flickering torches that lit the underground hall every five feet.

I stood still for a moment, readying myself for what was about to come. In four minutes Itachi and Shisui would enter behind me; I would take five minutes to get deeper in this maze, hopefully making it more difficult for anyone to tell which direction or entrance I had come from. Then, for the next fifteen minutes I'd put on a show, get Danzo's attention and attempt to keep it until my time was up. It was time to see how far I could get before my presence was noticed.

I moved as quietly as possible while speed walking down the hall, turning at every other intersection, glancing about curiously and counting the minutes down. Worries plagued my mind, about all the things that could go wrong. My main concern though, was Shisui. Try as I might, I couldn't remember everything about this world. Was he a part of Root in the series, or just extremely dedicated to his village? I didn't know, and there hadn't been a way to voice my thoughts without drawing suspicion onto myself.

In the end, I hadn't said anything; it still weighed on me though. When the five minutes were up, I channeled my inner child and started lightly skipping, singing a lullaby in my childish voice. It was in English, because I didn't know anything from here, and the sound bounced off the walls eerily. I'd gotten through one song and was halfway through 'The Itsy Bitsy Spider' when someone flashed in front of my path.

I gave a startled shriek, jumping at the masked face before relaxing.

"It's not nice to scare people, ANBU-san." I chided the person. "Do you know who I am? I'm the Namikaze princess, and my daddy will be very angry with you if you do that again!"

"My apologies, Namikaze-san." The Root agent said, voice feminine. "But this place is restricted. How did you get down here?"

"Oh!" I huffed. "Well, one of the girls in class said she heard from her brother that there were secret rooms in the mountain, where you could find cool stuff. I didn't believe her so I went to see for myself but after a while I got tired so I leaned onto the wall and it fell away and then when I turned around it had closed and I couldn't get back, you know? I thought I could find my way back, but it's been a while and now I think I'm lost… Ne, can you help me ANBU-san?"

My babbling childishness must be spot on, because the Root agent doesn't even hesitate before nodding in understanding. She bends down to my level and holds out her hand, palm up. I glimpse blue eyes behind her mask, and vaguely wonder who this person really is. Root from the start, with no clan or family, or someone who joined later on with belief in Root's ideals? From the way she was handling me gently like a human being instead of using force, I had to assume it was the latter.

"I would be honored to help the princess, if she would allow me to carry her?" She asked.

I nodded and crawled into her open arms with a giggle. The agent didn't move at top speed or anything, and I took the time to cement my status as a cute curious little child; asking lots of questions and talking about anything and everything. It was a careful line I had to walk, because I wasn't sure if I was supposed to know about Kakashi's return or how it should affect me. Had Root been watching me yesterday and this morning?

In the end, I decided on a cover story and would play it up if anyone asked. I was happy because he was back and alive, but I'd been sent home after only getting a few minutes with him and had decided to explore the tunnels since I was already so close. It seemed like a solid idea, so I kept up the positivity and waited for my fifteen minutes of fame to come to its climax. Soon we stopped in front of a door, with a one way glass mirror next to it that reminded me faintly of T&I and its interrogation rooms.

The room had a table and a chair on each side of it, with a single overhead light. The sight made my stomach tighten, but I fought to keep my heart beat calm; it wouldn't do to give away the game yet. Instead I blinked once in false confusion, before turning my gaze to the Root agent questioningly. She entered the room and set me down in the seat facing away from the exit.

"Am I in trouble?" I asked sulkily. "I didn't mean to get lost here, I promise…"

"Ah, I know you didn't." The agent consoled me. "But I'm not in charge, so you have to tell the commander that, okay? No lying though, because he can tell and then you'll be in trouble."

"Is he going to tell my daddy on me?" I asked, blinking tears into my eyes. "Can't we keep it a secret?"

"Of course we can, Nao-chan." A voice said from behind me.

I startled, twisting around already knowing what I would see. Danzo stood at the door, hand firm on his cane and a grandfatherly smile that didn't hide the sharp glint in his eye. The Root agent bowed on one knee before she was dismissed and Danzo moved over to sit in front of me, folding his hands on the table. He hums and examines me before speaking.

"Do you know who I am, Nao-chan?" He inquires kindly.

"Yes, sir." I reply. "You're on the elder council. They help watch over the village and advise the Hokage. I learned about it in school."

"You must be very smart." He praises. "That's right; I talk to your Otou-san every day. It's wrong to hide things from the Hokage, but if you're a good girl and you don't lie to me, I won't tell him about this."

"Really?"

"I promise." He says soothingly. "Now, can tell me how you got here Nao-chan?"

He's good, I'll give him that. If I hadn't known he was a diabolical genius and my mind wasn't that of an adult's, its likely I would have believed him. As it was though, I knew better, and Danzo had no idea what kind of fire he was playing with. I had majored in psychology; this was _my_ territory and I wasn't about to lose here. If I wasn't so hell bent on leaving, I would have had a promising career in T &I.

I liked to think I had good instincts, and they were telling me something was wrong with this picture. Shouldn't I be facing the mirror rather than away from it? Maybe they thought it would distract me, though there was another explanation for this. As someone who had seen war, I knew the effects it had on people. A man like Danzo, who had lived through two wars, would not willing turn his back to a door.

Then again, this made the mirror useless. Besides, Danzo may be paranoid, but he was also arrogant and I doubted he thought he would ever come to harm in Root headquarters. Of course, he was right to think so; only an idiot would try and attack him here of all places. It would be little more than a suicide mission, one that probably wouldn't work anyway. It'd be next to impossible to get close enough to kill Danzo to begin with.

"So a while ago, one of my friends was telling us about how she heard there were super-secret places hidden in the Hokage Mountain." I began, rolling my eyes. "I didn't believe her, but I looked anyway a long time ago with my guards. I never found anything though, and I looked for _days_! OH! And Kakashi came back today! We went to the Hokage tower but after we got there they made me leave! I was already so close to the tunnels anyway, you know?

"My guards weren't around though, but I think they were hiding the secret room from me, so I wanted go without them. I thought it would be okay, so I was exploring the tunnels again and got bored. I was trying to stick my hands to the walls, like the ninja do? And it worked! I got tired after a while so I leaned on the wall for break time, and it fell away; I dunno what happened though because it closed and then I couldn't get back to where I was. But I thought if I just kept going I'd find a way out, so I did and then the ANBU-san scared me and helped me and now here I am."

I said all that in one long excited breath, and I was breathing deeply after I had finished. It was silent for a moment as Danzo went over my words, and I shuffled in my seat nervously before blurting out that I wouldn't do it again, and I was sorry. There was amusement in his eye and I wasn't sure whether that was a good thing or not. Had he believed my story? I had put in some truths like going to the mountain before so I would seem like I was being truthful, but this was a man that lived off deception; he had to simply be humoring me, which was fine.

All I needed was his attention.

"My, you're a curious little one, aren't you?" Danzo hummed. "Do you know where your guards are now?"

"They're at their homes, I think." I said. "Obito-san was supposed to take me home, but I told him I could do it myself."

It had been about ten minutes since the Root agent had found me, but I wanted to wait another ten if I could stall long enough. Things seemed to be running smoothly and that alone was concerning. Even the best laid plans encountered some bumps; I could risk an extra five minutes to make sure the boys got out safely. Danzo was quiet for a moment, apparently thinking something over.

"So no one knows where you are then?" He rumbled.

"I'm a big girl." I huffed. "I can take care of myself. I just got lost this time is all…"

"Of course." He agreed easily. "Now, I'm not going to tell on you, but I need you to do one more thing for me Nao-chan."

It was alarming, the way he was acting towards me. The grandfatherly persona wasn't what I had been expecting, but in a way it made sense. People like Hitler didn't get to where they were by being cold and cruel towards those around them. Danzo knew how to play the game, and I should have expected that. In a way, I suppose I had, but experiencing it first hand was still creepy. I just needed to get through ten more minutes, buy everyone a little more time.

"What is it?" I chirped curiously.

He nodded slightly and the door opened, revealing a young man with orange hair. He was around Kakashi's age and wore the standard ANBU gear with the exclusion of a mask. Briefly I wondered if it was meant to make me feel more at ease or something, because if it was then they had failed spectacularly in that aspect. The man moved forward to Danzo's side and I blinked before tilting my head cutely, giving the agent a shy smile.

"This is Fu-kun, and he's going to take you home as soon as we're finished." Danzo murmured. "He's a Yamanaka like your friend Inoichi, so you can trust him. Fu-kun is going to do a ninja trick on you; if you're good, then maybe he'll show you how to do some of your own, hmm?"

It takes most of my will power to not stiffen. I manage to make my wide eyed look appear to be awe as I nod my head. Mentally, my mind is in a frenzy, trying to figure out a way out of this. Danzo gets up and leaves the room, but I'm positive he's just behind that glass. There's no more time for me to stall, and as Fu moves behind me I send a chakra charged finger into my sleeve, where the hiraishin seal hides and count to ten.

Nothing happens.

Jiraiya doesn't come, and I'm in full panic mode when Fu's hand makes contact with the crown of my head. I flinch, waiting for the inevitable feeling of his chakra seeping into my brain but it never comes. For a moment I wonder if maybe it already happened; my secret had been exposed and I just wasn't aware of it yet. Though I don't see it I can sense the way Fu tenses up, immediately bringing me into hysterics at the thought of being found out.

And then something strange happens.

The wall explodes into the room. Concrete goes flying, something slams into me and I fall over the table and then onto the hard floor. Searing, scorching pain takes hold of me and a blood curdling scream noises in the distance. There's something heavy on my back, holding me down. My ears ring and I _can't see can't breathe, everything hurts hurts hurts and why can't I move, what the hell is going on?_

I black out.

* * *

It's between one moment and the next that I find myself in a very familiar sewer.

"Why must you always find trouble?" Kurama growled from his cage. "Do you know how close to dying you are? Would be without me?"

"I don't understand…" I murmured. "Why am I here? What just happened?"

"You're dying." He said bluntly. "Or you would be, if I wasn't here to heal you. I assume you came here subconsciously, a smart choice considering the immense pain your body is facing."

"But what the hell happened?" I asked him.

"How am I supposed to know? I wasn't exactly there, if you recall."

I huffed, sitting down in front of Kurama's cage. The shadows on the walls lurked about eerily, whispering and slithering. They were wary about coming close to Kurama, who would crush them given the chance. It made his cage the safest place to concentrate, because I didn't have to worry about them there. Of course, I didn't know if the shadows were dangerous to come into contact with, but I certainly wasn't going to test that theory.

My mind went over what I remembered; trying to figure out what was going on. An explosion had come from the other side of that wall, where I assume Danzo had been standing. Had he been caught in the blast? Was the explosion an action from my side, or a third party all together? I considered the possibility that whatever had happened had been targeted at me, but the idea was dismissed quickly. It didn't make sense, and Danzo definitely wouldn't risk killing me.

Konoha would lose its weapon, after all.

Could it have been Jiraiya who did it then? I had sent the signal, so maybe he had answered, but it had just been a little late. Something could have malfunctioned with the seal I suppose, though it seemed unlikely with him being a _seal master_. Plus, wouldn't he have landed right next to me? The explosion was definitely concerning, and so were its implications but I was more worried about the fact that something had clearly gone wrong with the plan.

What if the explosion had been Itachi and Shisui? They could have run into trouble, or my suspicions about Shisui might have been right. Even if they were though, would he truly risk harm coming to Itachi, his best friend? No matter how much of a pull Danzo could have over him or how important the mission, I didn't think Shisui would allow anything to happen to Itachi. That didn't mean they hadn't gotten caught or faced any trouble though.

If they were fighting Root agents, there was little that could be done for them. Minato couldn't interfere, not without making it obvious he was behind everything. Kakashi was in no condition to lend help either, so it would fall to Jiraiya if the boys did actually need help or were outnumbered. That could explain Jiraiya's absence, of course; but it left me in a hazardous situation which I doubted any of them would have allowed. Surely Jiraiya would have given the seal to one of them, while he went to help?

Was it Kakashi, the injured or Minato, the Hokage? They were both bad choices, but no one else knew of our plan save for Kinoe, and there was no way he'd been given the seal. Kakashi may trust him, but he was the only one and Minato wouldn't have risked putting him on this mission and jeopardizing us all. No, it would have been down to him or Kakashi to substitute for Jiraiya.

Then again, this was all assuming that the boys found trouble and Jiraiya had gone to save them. Realistically I could be wrong about it; in fact, I was pretty sure I wasn't on the right track here. It didn't matter who Jiraiya gave the seal to, because both Minato and Kakashi have freaking hero complexes. That meant neither of them would have missed my signal, whoever had the seal would have been waiting for it and I'd have been out of Root in a heartbeat.

So then, what were the possible scenarios here? A third party was involved, obviously; the problem is that left so many theories. A Root member could have betrayed Danzo, or another outside force had also snuck in and tried to do away with him. Konoha could be under attack once more, and it was simply an unlucky coincidence on my end. That last thought made my stomach turn, and I dismissed it as the least probable situation.

"Hey," I murmured, spinning to face Kurama. "What did you mean, about almost dying? How bad off am I, exactly?"

"Very bad." He grumbled. "I can fix bones and repair muscles, close up wounds but it takes time. you'll have scars as well."

"What, you can't get rid of some scars?"

"This is your fault to begin with." Kurama hissed. "I swear you will be the end of me. Keep your damn nose out of business that doesn't concern you. Now get up, and return to consciousness before something kills us, like another explosion."

He was right. I couldn't afford to sit around right now, not without knowing the current situation. I stood, dusting myself off and taking a step back. My gaze met Kurama's and I closed my eyes, concentrating on returning to the real world. I wasn't sure if I could, but since I apparently hadn't lost consciousness and had just hid away into my mind, I figured it might work.

And it did.

The pain buzzing through my body told me I had done it, and I opened my eyes mournfully, taking stock. I seemed to have all four limbs, and my ears were no longer ringing so that was good. I was pinned face down by something unbearably heavy; though not enough that I couldn't expand my lungs for air. I could feel a headache forming as I lifted my head, checking the state of my surroundings.

The room I had been in was in ruins, and I could only see part of it. Chunks of concrete were strewn everywhere, and it mixed with glass on the floor. Everything was dark and I had the sneaking suspicion my senses were more enhanced than I'd previously thought, because by all rights I shouldn't have been able to see as clearly as I currently could. From the corner of my eye I could see the faintest glimmer of light, from the torches that lit the halls.

The air smelled of burnt hair and flesh, sending a chill through me. Complete silence surrounded the area, and warning bells went off in my mind. My back was oddly warm and damp despite the pressure being pressed against it, and I struggled to unpin my arms. When they were free, I pushed at the ground, using the little movement I had to twist my shoulders a bit and see what had me pinned. I turned and came face to face with the blank gaze of Fu.

A shriek worked its way up my throat, and I stifled it, a strange whimper escaping me instead. Most of his hair was gone, and his skin was scorched from the side of his face back. The blast had caught him and since he'd been behind me his body must have taking the brunt of the explosion. I could feel myself going into hysterics the longer I looked at him, and I ripped my eyes away. There was a dead body on me and it nee _ded to get off, oh god it was touching me, I had to go, get out of here, and I was stuck here with it._

I had seen dead bodies before, but this? It was too much, and I felt like I couldn't breathe. I used my chakra struggling in vain to move, to get away but I was thoroughly pinned. The weight was too much to simply be a body, there had to be something else holding me down. I kept trying though; eventually giving up when struggling became even more painful. I gasped for breath as tears blurred my vision, making their way down my likely dirty cheeks.

My hands trembled and I fought the urge to scream, afraid of attracting the wrong person. Would anyone come for me? Something was very wrong here, and I feared that no one I could trust would appear. It was far too quiet, like everyone in the world was dead. There were no sounds of fighting or anything of the sort, and the stillness of everything made me want to stop moving completely. I felt like prey, pinned and helpless as I was; the thought made me ill and I started hyperventilating.

Why had I involved myself?

I was going to die here, no one would ever find me and I'd die. The body would grow cold and stiff, before rotting on top of me. I imagined maggots crawling on my skin, the smell of death hovering around me, suffocating as the air in here ran out, the tunnels crumbling and burying me alive. I could feel it in my bones, the danger that permeated the air; it mixed with my panic and made me react poorly in my drained state.

Suddenly, something clicked.

Through my overwhelmingly emotional state, a realization hit me; this wasn't right, the way I was in pieces so easily. A nagging feeling turned into a theory and I was positive about it; I was feeling someone's killing intent. There was no other explanation as to why my body was in such hysterics. Freaking out is something that did happen to me on occasion, but not until all was said and done. I had lived through war, and I knew panicking was not to be done in the battle field, because it could likely get you killed.

I went still, trying to calm my breathing; it was easier, now that I knew what was going on. Logic kicked in, and a few things became clear to me all at once; someone was close by, they were dangerous, and I had nowhere to escape to. I focused on smothering my chakra, dimming it as much as possible; I wasn't how well it would work, I had a tailed beast in me after all. I took shallow, quiet breaths and curled into myself. All things considered I was well hidden, unlikely to be found unless anyone was really looking.

In the distance I caught a noise, straining to hear it once more. It was footsteps, loud and uncaring ones that echoed off the walls. Whoever it was, they weren't close which almost made it worse. People didn't make such carefree noises in situations like these, not unless they were the predator. I grew tenser with each second as the person drew closer. This would end in one of two ways; either I would be found and held at the person's mercy, or I would stay hidden and stuck here for an undeterminable amount of time.

Neither option appealed to me, but as always I didn't have any say in it. The footsteps stopped suddenly, and I waited with bated breath. It took everything I had not to scream when legs appeared before me. They bend as the person crouches down, the fabric of a dark cloak pooling around the figure. I raise my gaze, finding a familiar porcelain mask and one red eye glowing from behind it.

"Oh," The man said. "It's you again; the psychotic one."

I stare dumbly, unable to come up with words.

"Strange place to run into you." He hummed.

"I…" My voice breaks. "Why are… What?"

Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine running into the man who attacked Konoha, of all people. I couldn't wrap my brain around it; there was literally no room for such a twist. I'd been caught up in revenge plots and Danzo; a third party in the form of a Root member with a conscience or one that'd gone rogue had crossed my mind, but this?

"You look a little dazed, Namikaze-san." He murmured conversationally; clearly not holding a grudge from our last meet. "Though, I assume that's due to the whole explosion thing."

I was unsure whether I held a grudge myself against the man; after all, he had stabbed me, twice. But then, I had stabbed him first, and really if he wasn't going to be angry over it then I didn't see any point in being bitter either. At the end of the day it was all just business, I supposed. I found myself wondering whether he was aware of my status of a Jinchuriki; he hadn't brought it up though and I wasn't eager to point it out.

"Was that all you?" I asked, stalling.

"Of course." The man replied easily.

"I hope your aim was good then." I muttered, thinking of Danzo.

A surprised laugh escaped the man, like he hadn't expected me to say something like that. His head tilted, and I got the feeling I was being examined. I probably looked pitiful, dirty and surrounded by debris and, oh yeah, with a _dead body_ on top of me. I shoved that thought away, focusing on the man instead. He was clearly a key player here, but not an original one. I had a sneaking suspicion he was the new Tobi, and I filed that concept away for later, when I wasn't in immediate peril.

"You don't seem very afraid of me." He stated.

"Well," I huffed. "No offense but I have bigger problems than you right now. Are you attacking the village again?"

This man had held a knife to my throat once, and yet somehow I got the feeling that he wasn't going to kill me this time. That didn't mean I wasn't afraid, because I definitely was, but fear wouldn't help me right now. I needed to know what the hell was going on here, and he was my only source so I would have to make do. I pretended to not notice the blood on the hem of his cloak.

"Ah, not this time." The man said. "You see, I'm just here to pull a thorn that's been in my side for quite a while."

"A Shimura Danzo shaped thorn?" I pondered.

He paused, considering my words.

"…You really aren't like other children, are you?"

"Not a lick." I laughed dryly. "Normal isn't a word used to describe me here."

The man said nothing to that, instead choosing to inspect me once more. I could tell that he was thinking, but what about I wasn't sure. Part of me was irritated that he wore a mask, because I wanted to examine him as well. How often does one get the chance to do something as civil as this with a villain? I took in everything I could about him, committing it all to memory for future use. It was strange, but I felt as if something had changed in this moment, though I couldn't put my finger on what.

The man sighed, moving his hand to rub the back of his neck before standing.

"Your people will be here soon, I suppose." He informed me, before turning away. His footsteps moved further from me, and I realized he was walking away.

"Wait!" I blurted.

The footsteps paused.

"Your name, you never told me." I murmured. "Give me something to call you by."

I don't know why it mattered, or why I'd even said it. Curiosity was a powerful thing, and I had to admit that now I really wanted to know. I couldn't explain it, but I knew that our exchange had given me the last piece to a puzzle that I hadn't known I was missing until now. This man was important, and I felt like if I didn't get his name then this entire day had all been for naught. Maybe he heard the desperation I was feeling, because the man actually answered me.

"Ren." He said quietly. "You can call me Ren."

And then he was gone.

* * *

It takes twenty minutes before I hear the first signs of my rescue. Voices and footsteps echoed together in a cacophony of sound. From the number of them, I had to guess there to be at least ten people. The noise is far off, and I debate the pros and cons of calling out for help. There was no actual guarantee that these people were friendly; just because I hadn't seen a Root agent yet didn't mean that they weren't down here somewhere.

In the end, I stayed silent and waited to be found. There really wasn't anything I would be able to do if it did end up being Root, and after today I couldn't find the energy to even care about who found me. All I wanted was to get out of this underground prison and never come back. I was going to adapt some kind of phobia if this whole bombing thing kept happening to me.

Ten minutes passed before I was rescued. I had been using my arms as a pillow for my head when light shined down on me, making me flinch and shield my eyes. The person holding the flashlight said something to his companions about a survivor, and suddenly I was surrounded. Debris was cleared and I was freed from my position on the floor. Exhaustion hit me like a freight train as I was set in someone's arms, and I was too tired to protest at this point.

"Why is it always you?" A gruff voice remarked.

I stilled, before turning my gaze to the man carrying me to safety. The stern and slightly amused eyes of Morino Ibiki stared back at me, and I had to wonder if so much misfortune could really happen to me in the span of a few hours. Had I not filled my quota for the day? The words he said registered in my brain then, and I couldn't help but snort.

"I'd love to know if you ever find out." I muttered, before sighing.

As we moved through the tunnel, more and more shinobi passed us going in the opposite direction. Each eyed me curiously as they went, and I replied in kind. I was clearly out of the loop here, and despite how tired I was little things caught my attention and began to form a picture of what had happened here. Blood splatters on the walls and body parts were strewn about, though most of the leaf nin pretended they weren't seeing it.

There were other things too, but I couldn't think straight at the moment, and whatever conclusion my mind had been coming to simply fell away from my grasp. I let it slip, content to doze off for a bit and worry about everything later. My head fell against Ibiki's chest comfortably as I relaxed, but I only drifted for a moment before I was shaken slightly.

"Don't close your eyes." Ibiki said. "You might have a concussion."

"What?" I squeaked. "Don't be so cruel, it's been a trying day for me."

"Doze off again, and I'll show you cruel." He grumbled.

I didn't get a chance to reply, because at that moment we reached the end of the tunnel, and Ibiki stepped out into the sunlight with no warning. It was positively blinding, and I moaned before burying my face into Ibiki's coat. That headache I'd felt coming was finally here, and it hurt like a bitch. In fact, pretty much everything hurt; my very soul was in pain, that's how bright the sun was.

"Oh kami, I change my mind." I mumbled into Ibiki's shoulder. "Take me back; I'll stay in the dark. It's where I belong, in the darkest pits of hell."

"You're being dramatic." He replied.

No, I was dying.

Ibiki ripped his coat from my grasp, and I shrieked before covering my eyes. When they adjusted to the light I turned and gave him a hateful stare that he ignored with ease. Now that we were out, the sun warmed my skin making it harder to keep awake. My mind went into a haze, and the next thing I knew I was being placed in a hospital bed. Nurses poked and prodded me, hovering and buzzing annoyingly.

An odd sensation came over me, like my body decided to simply shut down for the day. I didn't fight it, rather I welcomed the feeling; nothing sounded sweeter then the thought of sleeping for the next month, and I craved it more than anything. At this point, I didn't think there was anything anyone could have done to keep me awake. My eyelids felt heavy as they drooped, and I sighed happily when they closed. All noise fainted to a distant hum, and I reveled in the peaceful atmosphere.

That was, until someone started tapping my cheek gently.

"Usagi-chan, wake up."

"No.." I whimpered, pulling the blanket over my head. "Go away."

"It's been three days" Kakashi's voice replied. "You've slept enough."

"What?!" I yelped, sitting up.

I moved too fast, giving myself a head rush. As I blinked myself into reality, there were chuckles from around me. Minato, Jiraiya, and Kakashi crowded my room, making their selves comfortable. I paused a moment to take everything in; Kakashi's return, my plan, going into Root, the explosion, Ren, and Ibiki's coat. Images appeared in my mind all at once, and I rubbed my temples to relieve the stress.

Had I really slept for three days?

"What do you people want from me?" I moaned. "It's too early for secret plots and other stupid ideas."

"It's three in the afternoon." Jiraiya scoffed. "And there's nothing wrong with you physically, so get up. We need that brain of yours on and working."

"Bite me." I snapped at him, before taking a calming breath. "Good grief, I hate all of you; but I'm awake now. Just, give me a moment to think, yeah?"

A whirlwind of information flooded my mind, and I lined up the events of what felt like yesterday. Nothing had gone according to plan as far as I knew; the hiraishin seal failed me, and Root had been attacked. That last statement was obvious to me now, in light of the things I'd seen. The bomb, Ren, the blood splatters and bodies, the charred bits of flesh and massive holes in the underground halls. The facts that I'd taken notice of before lined up neatly to create the scene I hadn't been able to comprehend previously.

There were still missing pieces though, and I only had half of the story.

"What happened on your guys' end, with the plan?" I questioned. "Did Itachi and Shisui run into trouble, did they make it out alive? How long was I down there? Just tell me everything."

"One thing at a time." Minato began. "First, can you tell us your side? There are some holes that need to be filled before I can explain."

"I suppose." I sighed running a hand through my hair. "In the beginning, everything was going fine. I thoroughly lost myself in Root's tunnels before bringing attention to myself. I was quickly found by a Root agent, a woman. She recognized me immediately and coerced me into going with her after I gave a convincing story about getting lost in the mountain. I was taken to a room, with one of those one way mirrors; it was similar to what I would think T&I interrogation rooms look like. I wa-"

"What do you mean?" Kakashi interrupted me. "Can you describe the room?"

"Uh, sure?" I answered bewildered. "It was concrete, and plain. The only things in there were an overhead light and a table with chairs on opposite sides of it. The Root agent set me in the chair with my back to the glass, and told me her commander would be there shortly. Danzo appeared maybe two minutes after I'd entered the room, and at that point I'd been in Root for maybe ten minutes? He sat in the other chair and asked me the same questions; how did you get here, where are your guards, that sort of thing.

"I told him the same story, going into detail a bit more. He didn't seem suspicious of me so I thought everything was going fine; and then he called one of his agents into the room. I didn't really understand until Danzo introduced the man as Yamanaka Fu. He said Fu was going to 'do a ninja trick' on me, and if I was good then maybe Fu would teach me how to do some."

I could see the alarm dawning on the men's faces, but I continued before anyone tried to interrupt me again.

"Danzo left the room, I think he was watching from behind the glass but I'm not entirely sure. I sent chakra into the seal, but nothing happened. Fu was behind me, his hand just touching my head when the explosion went off. I, uh, blacked out after that, don't know for how long though. When I woke up, I was pinned to the floor and it was so quiet; I mean dead silent, like I was the only person there. For a while I tried to get out but I didn't have the strength. Eventually I heard some noise and Ibiki-san found me. That's pretty much it on my side."

Mostly.

For some reason, I can't bring myself to tell them about Ren. He was an enemy still, but there was a part of me that couldn't let go of the thought that I was missing something here. I wouldn't tell anyone of our exchange, not until I figured out where this last piece was taking me. It was like somewhere in the back of my mind I had the puzzle together and it was taunting me, whispering that the answer was _right there_.

Besides, I didn't even know if _Ren_ was his real name.

"What happened on your end?" I asked.

"We never made it inside." Minato sighed. "Whether it was bad timing or something else, we didn't know but the entrance wouldn't open after you'd gone in. The boys tried for a few minutes before reporting back to us. Kakashi went out to try and it still wouldn't budge. We wasted the fifteen minute time limit trying to get in, but nothing, not even elemental jutsu, were working. At that point we were waiting for your signal, but it never came. After a few minutes had gone by Jiraiya had decided to go get you either way; except he couldn't get through, couldn't even find the seal.

"We knew something was going on by then, but it must have been too late. Konoha shook when the bombs in Root went off. The village had been evacuated, I was waiting for the ground to cave in; it should have too, but for some reason it never did. That was when Sensei had posed the idea that there was a barrier around Root, and that was what had caused our problems. It made sense, because for all intents and purposes Root's headquarters _should_ have crumbled and caved in, with all the explosions.

"We know now that the barrier was holding it all up, while keeping anyone from entering and leaving as well. We set to work, trying to see a way around it, when about half an hour later every entrance opened up, all at the same time. The barrier had been left up, and though there was a risk of it being a trap or collapsing, several shinobi volunteered to go in and look for survivors. After finding the barrier seal and checking the work to make sure it was safe, I sent the shinobi in. You were found, and taken here.

"I hadn't had much hope in the beginning though. The Root agents… you were the only survivor that might have seen anything, Nao-chan. Someone had taken them all out, and they'd been planning it for a while I'd guess. You said when you came to, that it was completely silent? You didn't hear any fighting, or see anyone at all?"

I met Minato's probing gaze head on.

"No." I replied. "It was just me."

* * *

Eventually, Minato and Jiraiya departed.

There were dark circles under both men's eyes, and I knew that this mystery would haunt them. Minato must have been planning Danzo's takedown for months; to have it all end like this, without knowing who the perpetrator had been, seemed cruel. He said they hadn't found Danzo's body, only chunks of flesh and the metal tip of a cane. A DNA test would be run to confirm, but everyone was positive Danzo was dead.

I wasn't so sure, but I kept that thought to myself.

His deeds had been let out to the public, horrifying many. Whether it was a smart move on Minato's part or not, I couldn't say. He hadn't really had much of a choice either way; too many people already knew for this to be swept under the rug. The entrances to Root would not close, and they had to be forcibly blocked in the aftermath. Root had been larger than any of us had expected, and there simply hadn't been enough ANBU to cover it all; so the Jonin were sent to search and aid any survivors, while the ANBU were tasked with collecting any and all files or other condemning evidence.

Anything too damning to the village was burned, and the rest sealed away as Minato (with some help from Jiraiya) went through them. The most horrifying of Danzo's actions would stay secret, but there was only so much that could be kept hidden. ANBU were sworn to secrecy, but Jonin? They weren't under the same restrictions, and this wasn't something that could be kept from the public, especially the shinobi kind. A statement had been released painting Danzo as a traitor, working against the village for his own purposes.

Ironically, he had just been doing what he thought necessary to protect Konoha. Root had been estimated to have had little over a hundred in numbers. They were all dead now, save for any members that might have been away from the base at the time, and the youngest children in training. They had been found locked in their rooms by ANBU, so as far as anyone else knew, I was the sole survivor. In reality, there were thirteen of us, all below the age of nine.

I had been victimized, apparently. Kidnapped by Root in the early hours of the morning, and rescued by the will of a _loving father_. I could already tell the public was going to eat it up, no doubt fueling the rumor mill. Minato needed a scapegoat though, a reason to explain what happened with Root and my appearance there. I was fine with this, but only on the condition that I would get to meet the twelve children. I accepted the fact that I would always turn heads in this village, so I might as well get something out of it.

I had a few ideas concerning the children, and I knew my opinion would be heard this time. I didn't particularly care about Konoha, but those kids would be important to the village in the future. They didn't know it yet, but this made them targets; in Konoha and everywhere else. As someone who understood the need for freedom, I wouldn't sit back and watch theirs be taken once again, because that was where they were headed. I would give those children a _chance_ , like I had wanted for myself.

A chance to be free, to make their own choices and live without restraint.

They deserved it.

"What are you thinking so hard about?" Kakashi asked from his perch on the window sill.

"When these useless nurses are going to come back with my discharge papers." I huffed.

"You do realize that you can't discharge yourself?"

"Yes, that's what you're for, Ba-ka-shi. Get me out of here."

"You really are a princess." He muttered. "Always ordering me around like a dog."

"That's because you are a dog." I muttered, turning away from him. "A bad one, running off and never listening."

I was still mad about what had happened to him. I had almost gone gray with worry waiting for him to come back, and now that he was here I was even more upset. It didn't make sense, but I couldn't exactly help it. I had gone on such a roller coaster of emotions that I never wanted to feel again; it was absolutely exhausting. Suddenly I was being lifted, and a squeak escaped me. Kakashi settled on the bed with me in his lap, and I was stiff as he circled his arms around my frame.

"Maa, I came back, right?" He said. "You can't be upset with me so soon."

There was a joking quality to his voice, but I thought I caught a sliver of something else there too; worry perhaps, or desperation. I dismissed the idea though; I was probably hearing things that weren't there. After all, it was me that was overly emotional at the moment. I huffed, crossing my arms; I could be upset if I wanted, and as it happens, I already was.

"It's your fault in the first place." I murmured. "You should have been more careful."

"Oh?" He hummed. "Am I in trouble then?"

"That's right. No more missions for you, ever again."

"How will I earn money?" He asked complacently, amusing me.

"D-rank missions." I replied solemnly. "You're demoted back to Genin, effective immediately."

Kakashi, the sneaky bastard, had gotten me to relax as we bantered. I was still mad at him, and I'd get my revenge later, but I couldn't help leaning on him as we continued talking. He was the human equivalent of safety in my head, and I felt like I deserved a little comfort. A traitorous voice in the back of my mind whispered to enjoy this while it lasted, because one day I was going to have to let go. Kakashi would never forgive me, so these moments were limited, because nothing had changed for me.

I was still going to leave the village.

I'd be his enemy.

Those who break the rules are trash, but those who abandon their comrades are worse then trash.

One day, I was going to do both.

* * *

A/N

So! Are we surprised at the turn this chapter took? Did you guys have an idea of how you thought Danzo's fall would go down, and if so have I fall short of those expectations, or gone above?

A lot of things are going to come around to a full circle next chapter, and we'll be getting some Chouji/Shika time as well. Things will really be picking up after the next chapter, and I'll be skipping some time, though not much because Nao's academy days are actually really important even if you guys don't know it yet.

Thoughts? Questions?

Please Review!


	15. Chapter 15

A/N

I present you with another chapter!

You guys are smart cookies, I'm so blessed.

One of you wanted to know if Nao has been using killing intent without realizing it, and the answer is yes! It can be a miniscule amount or more, depending on how pissed off she is, and that's actually going to come into play as a problem _real soon_.

Another thing, "Ren" is _not_ canon.

Thank you guys for reviewing, I adore each and every one of you!

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Kishimoto owns Naruto and all its canon characters.

* * *

Consequences.

At one point or another, we all have to face them. In the last few weeks, I had made some questionable decisions without truly bothering to think them through. In the back of my mind, a part of me had known that eventually I would have to deal with the backlash of my actions. After all, no one gets a free pass for making poor choices; it all comes back around to bite us in the ass, whether it happens within a few days or even years from now. Unfortunately for me, I'd be facing my consequences much sooner then I had hoped.

In fact, I'd be getting my first taste of it today.

When I woke up this morning and started getting ready for school, I hadn't thought about how suspicious I'd been the last few weeks. How despite the fact that I never showed up for class I had still managed to pass every test I'd been given. No, this morning I had been too focused on doing better in school, and maybe snatching a few A's to get certain people off my back.

Like Kakashi.

He had been appalled when Jiraiya snitched on me about skipping school all the time and the subsequent low ranking that had followed. How Jiraiya had even known about these things I had no idea, but the point was that he had gotten me in trouble with Kakashi and I would have my revenge; right after I raised my class rank to the upper average section, of course. Kushina and Minato had pressed me about my attendance before, and I had tuned them out so I knew they were simply thankful I would return to school with no argument.

Naruto no longer waited for me in the morning, so today I made my way to school alone. It was more peaceful than I had anticipated, listening to the birds chirping and watching as Konoha began to buzz with life. As I approached the academy I heard children playing in the yard, and I weaved through them to get inside. There were only a few minutes until the bell rang for class, and I quickly made my way up the stairs and into the classroom.

As I closed the door behind me, I caught Iruka's gaze on me.

There was a knowing look in his eyes, and I paused for a second. When our eyes met I barely restrained a flinch, turning away from him and scurrying up the aisle. His gaze burned into the back of my head and I ignored it as best as I could. People didn't look at you like that unless they knew the game you were playing, and somehow, I could tell Iruka thought he had figured me out.

And maybe he had.

The thought was unsettling, and I shoved it away in favor of waving to Naruto and Sasuke, both of whom looked strangely delighted to see me. It wasn't until I was on our level that I saw the dark haired girl in my seat. She had a dreamy expression as she chattered away at Sasuke, who was trying to ignoring her. I made an amused sound at the pleading look both boys shot me, before moving to the girl and tapping her shoulder.

"Excuse me, but you're in my seat." I informed her. "I'd like to have it back, if you don't mind."

The girl glanced at me in irritation for a moment before that spark of recognition entered her gaze. She straightened, mouth opening and closing as though she was having trouble finding the right words. I shifted somewhat impatiently, aware of the infamy surrounding myself and how it had increased in the wake of Danzo's fall. I had gone from the little redheaded girl that received double takes, to the Namikaze princess, to something else entirely.

A small, quiet part of me understood the fuss; rags to riches girl becoming important enough to warrant the interest in so many of Konoha's leaders. To the civilians, I was the Cinderella of Konoha, the living legend that proved you could go anywhere in life no matter what the circumstances of your birth. The allure was easy to see, and I understood why people cared so much about it, I sympathized with them; it wasn't about me really, but about giving themselves some sort of… hope.

They could look to this grand figure set upon a pedestal, the Namikaze Princess, and find some kind of security. They found that there was room for change in the world, and somehow this led them to think such a revelation was only possible because of me. It was hilariously untrue though; I hadn't been the one to put myself on that pedestal, and I didn't hold myself in such high regard either. Everyone needed something to believe in, and I understood that.

I just wish they hadn't chosen me.

From the look on this girl's face I suspected she felt similar.

"There isn't assigned seating and I got here first." Her voice was loud, enough to catch the attention of the few students around us and there was a clear challenge in her stare as she added. "Besides, you haven't been here all week. There are plenty of other seats for _you_ , dead last."

And with that she turned back toward Sasuke, dismissing me entirely. There was an underlining tension in the air, as my fellow classmates waited to see what I would do. It was a test to be sure; how far could the notorious Uzumaki Nao be pushed? What kind of person was I really?

The answer was not pretty.

This brat had just publically disrespected me, when I had asked her nicely to move. The air thickened as I smiled sharply; perhaps this life had spoiled me, but I was not used to being treated as a lesser person, especially when I had done nothing to deserve it. The boys were smart enough to recognize the mood, and they stood at attention as I called their names. "Sasuke, Naruto, you heard the girl. She's clearly attached to her seat there, so let's give her some room, yes?"

The boys nodded in relief, and as one they gathered their things and followed me up the next level to the seats behind the girl. A deep sense of satisfaction curled in my stomach as she could do nothing but watch herself be abandoned, on a single order no less. Her face flushed red, and her shoulders scrunched together as she stood and scuttled away to the far end of the classroom. Oddly, the boys appeared to be rather impressed with this. Naruto commented. "That was easy."

"Yeah," Sasuke added. "We've been trying to get rid of her all week and all we had to do was move seats?"

This seemed strange to me, as I distinctly remembered Sasuke having little trouble keeping most girls at a distance with a few well-placed scathing words.

"Well, did you try being mean to her?"

"No, of course not." Sasuke gave me a bemused look. "Otou-san says you should never be mean to girls. We just ignored her and hoped she'd go away."

I took a moment to process this as Iruka brought the class to attention. Uchiha Fugaku, substandard parent and pretentious, straight-laced asshat extraordinaire, gave his son some decent advice. I was in shock, skeptical that such an event had occurred; maybe Itachi had said it and Sasuke had just gotten mixed up. It made far more sense, in my mind. I just couldn't see the man that had given poor Sasuke a complex having any sort of sound judgement, even if it was a biased outlook on my part.

I was pulled from my train of thought as I once again caught Iruka's gaze, which flashed with something before he moved on to explain something about class ranks. It was then what I was reminded of something the girl from before had said. She had called me dead last, a title Naruto had held proudly when he had been known to me as Uzumaki rather than Namikaze. Suspicion crept upon me as I dug around my bag, pulling out a pencil and a piece of paper before scribbling out a note and passing it to Sasuke.

 _What had that girl meant by Dead Last?_

He glanced at it once, and with a smug expression he began to write back. Naruto peeked over, trying to read our conversation, and the shit eating grin that appeared on his face did nothing to reassure me. He tried to stifle his laughter as the note slid back to me.

 **Iruka-sensei said your rank drops after missing so many days. You never went to Kunoichi classes and you haven't done any of the homework… This week your rank dropped to the bottom, so you** _ **are**_ **Dead** Last **.**

A dying whale noise escaped me, and I let my head thump painfully onto the desk. Naruto cackled madly and Iruka commanded him to settle down or be faced with detention. No wonder Iruka had been giving me the stink eye; I had dropped so low and all that effort was lost. He knew what was up, and the game was ruined, but that didn't mean I would stop. I could afford to be lazy if Danzo wasn't hovering over my shoulder menacingly anymore. Minato would simply be happy if I passed, and come hell or high water I would do so in the safety of the middle ranks.

Under no circumstances would I fall into team seven.

Of course, that was assuming Kakashi even ended up taking a genin team. It seemed more likely for someone like Obito to get one than him. Things were vastly different this time around, so maybe the curse of team seven would befall some other unfortunate souls all together. It was unlikely, but the thought was comforting and I clung to the small possibility. Hours passed, my mind drifted despite how hard I tried to focus, and eventually I found myself outside for the dreaded P.E.

Another class joined ours today, so when we took off running I looked for any familiar faces. As I did so, something strange caught my attention. Because I was at the back as usual I had a better view of the combined classes, and in the crowd I spotted an abnormal amount of the color red. Almost every girl here was wearing some shade of it, and the oddness of it caught me off guard.

When the boys finally wore themselves out enough to lag back next to me, I questioned them about it.

"Are you kidding?" Naruto exclaimed. "They've been doing that for weeks now!"

"Well I wasn't exactly around, you know?" I huffed. "So it's just the girls then? That's kind of weird don't you think?"

"What's even weirder is that the ones who wear that color all like Sasuke." Naruto laughed. "They follow us around during break and I heard from someone that they think red is his favorite color, and that's why the girls are wearing it!"

I tripped over the flat ground and grabbed Sasuke in an attempt to steady myself. It didn't work and he in turn grabbed Naruto, making us all hit the ground in a dog pile. It hurts, but I'm too busy laughing to care; to the point where tears start rolling down my face. Naruto seems to think it's funny as well, because he joins in from his place at the top of the pile. Sasuke looks between us like we're clinically insane, and that sets me off even more.

I'd completely forgotten about that day with Ino and her friends. To think that one little white lie could cause this much of an effect was hilarious. I had just wanted to have a bit of fun, and now half of my year group was wearing _red_. Sasuke tried to shove his way out as I clutched my stomach in pain.

"Oh, kami," I gasped. "I can't, I can't breathe."

"It isn't funny." Sasuke growled.

"Yes, it is." I replied, trying to pull myself together. "Just not for the reason you're thinking. Naruto, get off; you two are crushing my delicate body."

He did and we got a move on under the exasperated gaze of Iruka. Towards the end of our laps we managed to catch up with the rest of the class. Every once in a while Naruto or I would snicker, and it'd set the other one into a fit of giggles. Sasuke, stuck between the two of us, sulked until we finished running. He ended up being the only one of us not out of breath, and he was nice enough to wait while we regained ours.

"Aw, cheer up Sasuke." I chirped. "If it makes you feel better, you can tell any girl that bothers you that Kushina and Mikoto made a deal and we're betrothed to be married or something."

God knew that's where those two were heading anyway, with the way their minds worked. Sasuke seemed to perk up at the excuse as we settled into our beginners katas, and I sighed fondly at him. I never wanted Chibi-Sasuke to grow up, he'd lose the cute expressions I could get out of him and that would be a shame. Distantly I wondered if I'd still be able to fluster him when he became a teenager, or if I'd have to find a new victim.

"Sasuke..." I hummed.

"Yeah?"

"Never, ever change, okay?" I said with a straight face. "I love you exactly the way you are."

His face flushed and he sputtered, wobbling from his kata pose into Naruto's space, who fell over trying to move out of the way. I coughed to cover my laughter, avoiding the annoyed looks from both boys. We continued P.E. for another hour, and I reveled in the warmth of the sun, unwinding in its soothing heat. It was May, and with each passing day the temperature grew warmer. Today had to be in the high seventies, a cool breeze blowing from time to time making it a perfect morning.

It was odd, to think that seven months ago I had be living in an orphanage; that I had never left, wandered Konoha's streets or met any of the people I knew now. So much had changed for me, and I couldn't help but wonder whether it had been for the best. I didn't regret meeting Shika, or Minato or even Kushina. Maybe I had once, but those days were done and over with.

At this point, I couldn't imagine a life where I had never lived in the manor, or woke up to Naruto's excited squealing about one thing or another. Growing up at the orphanage, and keeping to myself would have saved me so much pain, and more to come. Except, if I had stayed on that path I would have been far more lonely than I already was at times, and wasn't that a frightening thought? Maybe I was well and truly alone in the world, unable to be understood; even so, there was a difference between being alone and isolating one's self.

Sometimes, you simply needed a shoulder to lean on.

And thankfully, I had found one.

* * *

P.E. ended, break began and I shuffled away into the academy building. I had contemplated seeking out Ino and her band of tiny boppers, before dismissing the idea entirely. I'd only talked to them once, and it had been exhausting; it wasn't worth it to try that again and I had likely already done enough damage. I would simply lock the classroom door and hope no one came by to get me in trouble, like a teacher or something.

On my way to the classroom I paused at the first year ranking board. At the very bottom was my name next to rank 84, and I moaned dejectedly before skimming the rest of the list. Shikamaru was smack dab in the middle of the rankings, with Chouji only two ranks ahead. Sasuke still held his spot as rookie of the year, with Naruto right behind him. I wondered how much the rankings would change once we moved on to spars and whatnot.

If I wanted Kakashi to stop nagging me then I'd have to rank in the low thirties. Maintaining that would take more planning beforehand and the idea was already draining me. Then again, I had never thought about it this way, but the higher my rank went the less likely I was to be put on a team with _both_ Sasuke and Naruto. No one would put such an unbalanced squad together, after all.

Hmmm…

There was a decent idea here, though I wasn't sure if I wanted to try it. My slipping under the radar plan wasn't going to work, but it would keep me safe to an extent. If I threw that all away and went for, say, rookie of the year, then I'd be attracting more attention than my previous plan would have. It'd be a lot of work physically as well; I would have to train really hard to be better than everyone else in my year. Plus, I would have to go to Kunoichi classes and get top marks on my homework.

But Kakashi would be proud. Maybe I'd even get him to teach me something like stealth or tracking. An insight as to how his mind works as a tracker would be useful in the future, especially if I needed to disappear without leaving a trail. I was almost guaranteed to end up with one of the boys on my team if I did though, more so than if I stayed in the middle of the ranks.

I weighed my options before realizing that I didn't actually have to decide right now; there would be plenty of time to do it later. I turned my back on the board, moving to my classroom and locking the door behind me. I curled up into my seat and relaxed, letting my eyes wander out the window. The free time led me back to Ren, who I was trying very hard to not think about.

So many things just didn't add up with him, and I felt like an idiot every time I tried to figure out what the big picture I seemed to be missing was. I knew the answer would be obvious if I could just fit the pieces of information together, but for some reason it wasn't working like I had hoped. I went over everything I knew once more, separating fact from assumption.

At that point in time, Ren had been in Konoha to kill Danzo, that much I could say with certainty. The problem was, when I added up the timeframe it didn't make sense. How could he have killed a hundred Root agents, Danzo, and still have time to chat with me all in the span of an hour? If he had been that strong, then how had he been so quickly defeated by Minato and Jiraiya when Kurama had been released?

The only conclusion I could come to was that he hadn't been alone. That clicked with something else, and a new thought entered my mind. I was beginning to get a bad habit of not asking questions because I assumed I knew everything, when that really wasn't the case. The night Ren attacked Konoha, there had been another tailed beast out and about and he had been with me.

Who had been controlling the other tailed beast then?

It had to have been a partner, someone actually able to control the damn thing. The only way I could remember anyone doing so was with the sharingan; Ren had one, so I was willing to bet his accomplice had the other. If I was right, that then begged the question of where they had gotten them? Kakashi and Obito were a bit of a special case, to say the least; Uchiha didn't exactly go handing out their precious dōjutsu at the drop of a hat.

The exception to the rule being Madara.

It had been so long though, I couldn't remember his reasoning for putting those creepy eyes into that Ame orphan. Clearly there had been a very good reason though, so more than likely that was where said eyes were. Either Ren's sharingan was taken off a dead Uchiha, or his partner _was_ an Uchiha. Hell, he himself could be an Uchiha, I wasn't exactly in the know.

The only thing I was positive of was that this distinction mattered.

I was going to have to go through records if I wanted to find out about any Uchiha that were supposedly killed in action, whose bodies had never been recovered. That was my best bet, and if it turned out that there were no missing Uchiha then I would cross that bridge when I got to it.

Another thing that plagued me was that for all intents and purposes, I _had_ been spared by Ren. There was no logical explanation for why he did it, and that really bothered me because he would have been better off killing me. He had almost done it too, the first time we met so I knew there had to be a reason I wasn't dead right now. He had kept that barrier up after finishing Root, when he could have let it fall and bury me with the added bonus of collapsing whatever parts of Konoha Root headquarters reached.

The chance would have been too good to pass up, so that meant the absolute destruction of Konoha wasn't on the list. Or maybe it was and he had other, more nefarious plans for the village.

It was the not knowing that was the worst.

I wasn't used to being so out of the loop, and now with the clear realization that I definitely did not know shit, it was killing me. Ren was a complete unknown; I couldn't predict his next move because I didn't understand his motives to begin with, and if there was one thing I had learned it was that motive was everything. What did he want with the tailed beasts? What were his intentions with Konoha? Why had he killed Danzo in the first place?

Was Ren even his real name?

The door jiggled for a moment, startling me before it slid open. Iruka stepped in, eyeing me as children moved past him to their seats. Break time must have ended then, and I hadn't heard the bell. I blinked at him innocently before turning my attention to the boys as they strolled to our row and took their seats. When class started I made an effort to keep up with everyone, though it lasted only a minute as I realized I already knew what they were talking about.

I had read through the textbooks months ago, and there was probably nothing this year could teach me that I didn't already know or couldn't figure out myself. It made for a dull school life, and I was beginning to regret stealing those books in the first place. I was dying to learn something useful, and I decided to pester Itachi and Shisui today until one of them taught me something worth knowing. I was beginning to obsess over everything, and I needed something to take my mind off it all.

Eventually school ended, and as I gathered up my things I remembered Kunoichi class. It was every other day after school, but I couldn't be bothered to attend today. Maybe I just wasn't cut out for rookie of the year; I was too lazy for that much effort. I made a flimsy promise to myself that I would go next time as I exited the school with Naruto and Sasuke.

Surprisingly neither of my Uchiha guards were present yet, so the three of us settled down to wait. Sasuke still hadn't figured out that his brother was spending most of his time with me, and I was hesitant to tell him. It seemed like it would be more troublesome if I said anything, so I kept quiet about it. He would find out on his own anyway, so there was no point in telling him.

The three of us sat under the shade of a tree while we waited, and I watched as children grouped up and ran amuck. It was only after a minute or two that a commotion caught my eye. Across the playground a bunch of older boys were gathered around something; they made jaunts and their mocking laughter echoed over to me. My curiosity peaked, and I stood up to see what was going on.

My heart dropped into my stomach at the familiar red swirls on chubby cheeks and the auburn hair that stuck up. Chouji was in the center of the group, shoulders scrunched like he was trying to disappear from sight. There were tear stains on his face, and his belongings were scattered on the ground. My feet moved forward without thought, slowly and then at a normal pace. Sasuke and Naruto called out to me in confusion and I heard them get up, following behind.

I wasn't sure what I was doing. My blood was pumping, and rather than the ice cold anger that usually accompanied me, I found heated fury burning through my veins. There wasn't a plan, and if there had been it wouldn't have matter because at that moment a couple of things happened, all at once. Chouji's watery gaze met mine as he's pushed to the ground, a boy steps forward, and his foot goes back with the intent to deliver a kick.

I. See. Red.

Later, I would reflect on this moment and realize that it was the one that changed everything.

But I wouldn't regret it.

* * *

Red eyes stare unblinkingly at me, three black tomoe spinning lazily in each iris.

They are mere inches from my own, and though I know I should look away I can't. I blink once as reality bleeds into focus, taking in the situation. There's something heavy sitting on my waist, and my wrists are pinned above me in a painfully tight grip. There are whispers and crying around me, but I can't seem to break my gaze from the red eyes. Distantly, a voice in the back of my mind says _sharingan_ and I realize that's why I feel like turning my eyes away would be a bad idea.

You're not supposed to look the sharingan straight on, and right now that's exactly what I was doing. I could tell my unmoving stare was beginning to unsettle the person, and I made note of that. I was strangely calm, back to that ice cold… something though I didn't let it show. Instead, I relaxed into the ground without breaking my gaze, letting my face go blank in an uncaring way. The person waits a few seconds before loosening his hold on me and shifting to pull me into a sitting position.

When he moves away from my face I realize its Itachi.

"Are you okay?" He asked in concern.

"…Yes." I replied warily. "I think so."

I'm trying to figure out what's going on when I feel the stinging of my hands. I looked down to see blood decorating the slpit skin of my knuckles. My brows furrow in confusion, and I truly tuned in to the sounds around me, trying to get a feel for the moment. There was a crowd, of teachers and students and parents; the group of boys from before was there as well, receiving inspection from one of the teachers though I noticed two were missing.

Naruto, Sasuke and Chouji all sat to one side, apparently being scolded by Iruka; he sent me worried glances, but didn't approach. Shisui was speaking with one shinobi, shaking his head and gesturing in an argumentative fashion while another shinobi was shooing onlookers away. People glanced at me, flinching when they were caught before turning away and whispering among one another. One of the bullies was crying to what looked to be his mother, and the rest of them were white as ghosts and trembling.

A small amount of blood stained the ground.

As I processed all of this, I could feel my body trying to shrink into itself. I had a vague idea of what had happened, and I knew that this was my fault. Some people looked fearful while others stared in my direction, and I found myself wanting to hide. I looked back to Itachi, afraid of what I would see in his eyes. There was no contempt though, only worry and somehow that felt even worse.

I wanted to escape, but I knew that wasn't going to be a possibility here. I felt panicked, and so my subconscious did the only thing it could do to help me; it took us to my mindscape, and away from reality. In the blink of an eye I found myself in front of a massive cage, the sound of water dripping in the distance. Shadows creeped along the walls and after a moment of adjustment I ignored them and sat down.

Kurama looked at me in exasperation.

I shrugged.

"You can't keep coming here to escape your problems." He growled.

"Actually, I can." I sighed. "That's the beauty of it."

"Do you know what you look like to the rest of the world when you just up and submerge into this place?" Kurama huffed. "You look like you've completely shut down; lights on and no one's home. You do realize that you aren't unconscious right now, correct?"

"Why do you insist on nagging me?" I groaned, flopping onto my back.

"Maybe if you stopped acting like an idiotic child then I wouldn't have to."

"Well, I _am_ a child."

"No." He replied bluntly. "You're not."

And there it was; the truth that we had both ignored for months now. I didn't deny it, sighing softly in defeat instead. There was no need for me to confirm it either, because we both knew the truth, even if neither of us had never said it out loud before now. I wasn't a child any more than Kurama was a brainless monster, but we had both let others think of us that way.

I was starting to wonder if it wouldn't be easier to just stay here forever.

"I don't want to go back out there." I admitted. "Now would be a great time to be swept away by a white knight on a horse."

"I'm sure." Kurama grunted. "Unfortunately, you have to go back, because nobody is going to come save you. We're alike, you said it yourself; and we don't get happy endings, remember? Get up and save yourself."

I paused, before moving to my feet.

For a moment, I just looked at him, trapped behind that cage. I wondered if he had ever waited for someone to save him, someone who never came. Maybe that was why Kurama was the way he was; he'd had to save himself. Humanity had been nothing but cruel to him, and he had responded in kind. Did he ever think of the person that had failed him?

Was he still waiting to be saved?

My heart broke at the thought, because I was positive that subconsciously he still held out hope. Kurama had experienced everything I feared; he had been locked up, used as a weapon, his feelings disregarded. He had suffered at the hands of ninja, and for the first time I was beginning to understand what that entailed. Anger welled within me, anger at the world for hurting Kurama and anger at myself for being a part of it.

One day, I was going to free him.

I would do whatever it took to make sure he would never be at the mercy of humans. It would kill me of course, but I was willing to die for such a worthy cause. Besides, it would take years upon years to complete this new goal, and I would have lived a full life by then. I closed my eyes, concentrating on returning to reality. I could feel Kurama's curiosity, and I ignored it as I felt my surroundings blend back into the academy yard.

Except when I open my eyes, I'm not even at the academy.

Confusion settles in as I look at the ceiling of my bedroom. I blink once, twice, trying to break the illusion. It remains though, and I'm left with a strong sense of distress. I sit up to find Itachi leaning casually against the window, and he turns to face me at my movement. We look at one another for a moment before he breaks the silence.

"You seemed distraught, so I brought you home."

I nodded, and something occurs to me.

"What about Sasuke?" I questioned. "Is he okay? Who took him home, if not you?"

"Shisui has both boys at the Uchiha compound." Itachi explained. "I believe Kushina-san is there as well, lecturing them about fighting with classmates."

"…Right." I eyed my bedding.

Itachi moved forward, and I patted the spot next to me.

"Why did you attack those children?" He asked as the bed dipped with his weight. "Was it because of the Akimichi boy?"

"Yes."

"…You sent two of them to the hospital." Itachi said. "They'll both be fine in a matter of weeks, but people are not happy."

"It is hardly my fault a couple of _fourth years_ couldn't handle a first year like me." I muttered. "Maybe someone should see if they're really academy material."

"You were using chakra in your punches." He replied. "And if that wasn't enough, you moved like you had been fighting your whole life. A natural like you would likely be able to hold your own against a sixth year."

I wouldn't exactly call myself a natural, what with having some minor combat experience in my past life. I couldn't tell Itachi that though, so I simply shrugged. I knew how to throw a punch and when to dodge, that was about it concerning my fighting knowledge; I didn't hesitate, and that was my biggest advantage here.

"Why are you still a first year?" Itachi asked suddenly. "You have a good grasp on your chakra control, you're intelligent, and you have a natural talent for combat. You should be at least two years higher."

I made a strained noise.

"No, definitely not." I sputtered. "You're overestimating me."

"I'm not." He replied, eyes narrowing.

"I don't want to skip any years." I said. "So don't even go there. I'm perfectly content where I am, which is relaxing and enjoying how non stressful class is. I can barely keep up with everyone else physically."

Mostly because I was lazy, but he didn't need to know that.

"That's a waste of your potential." Itachi sighed.

"So teach me something useful." I retorted.

"What?"

"If you think I'm wasting my potential, then teach me."

"…What would you even want to learn?" He inquired after a moment.

"Everything." I laughed. "I want to know how to survive in the wild, how to sneak up on an enemy, teach me how to thrive in the shinobi world."

There was a pause.

"When would you like to begin?"

* * *

The next day I would have gone to school, except I had been suspended.

Naruto and Sasuke had gotten detention, but since I had been the "instigator" here my punishment had been more severe. It was irony at its finest, that as soon as I decide to stop skipping school they kick me out for a week. Naruto, for one, had been scandalized at my suspension. All through dinner last night he yelled about how unfair it was, and that I had been trying to stop those bullies. Neither Minato nor Kushina seemed upset that I had started a fight and had gotten suspended. Injuries happened all the time at the academy anyway.

In fact, they were strangely proud.

Kakashi appeared to be the only one displeased with me, and we spent dinner staring at one another irritatedly. I knew what I had done was wrong, because I had gone overboard and sent two _children_ to the hospital. There was no excuse for that, and I felt guilty for causing a kid so much injury. I still would have beaten their faces into the ground of course, just not to the point that they required a hospital. I was a fully grown woman in my mind, so I knew why I was wrong.

It mystified me though why Kakashi was mad at me; he didn't know I was in my late twenties, so what was his excuse? The tension between us only served to piss me off even more, because I had just gotten him back and now I wanted nothing more then to shove him out the front door.

I went to bed before I ended up in another fight.

Of course, I couldn't sleep in, and I was awake as Naruto left for school. I laid there for a good hour, staring at nothing and wondering how I could spend my newly acquired vacation. I decided that staying in the Manor would drive me crazy, so I threw on a dress, leaving my hair down for once, and made my merry way out of the estate. I had no idea where Kushina disappeared to, and I filed that thought away for later.

For a while I simply wandered the streets, sticking to the less populated parts of the village. It was another warm day, and as the sun climbed higher in the sky I found myself in a familiar field, one I hadn't visited in months. It was the place where I used to meet up with Shika and Chouji, so of course I had avoided it in the wake of the tailed beast attack. I paused briefly before making my way to the tree where I'd met both boys.

They would both be in school right now, so I didn't have to worry about running into either of them. I fell onto my back, relaxing as the sun warmed my face. Thoughts of Chouji and how he'd looked yesterday surrounded by those older kids bounced around in my head. It was followed by the looks I'd received from the shinobi on the scene.

Looks filled with wariness and suspicion.

The shinobi population did not think too highly of me recently, which was fair enough. I was too closely attached to the name of Danzo and Root; many people did not believe the lies of my kidnap, or how coincidental it was that I was the only person to step out of Root headquarters that day alive. I couldn't blame them for their skepticism, it was certainly well founded and had it been myself I wouldn't have fully believed it either. My fight at the academy had not improved their opinions, and in fact I had a feeling it had only made everything more troublesome.

I wasn't asking to be liked though, and whatever happened I would simply have to make do.

Konoha was temporary.

Clearing my mind, I focused on my breathing, the chirping birds and the cool breeze that blew past once in a while. It was calming, and soon my eyes grew heavy before closing as I drifted off into a soothing sleep. I wasn't sure how long I dozed for, but when I awoke I realized there was someone beside me. I stiffened reflexively, recognizing the chakra signature right off the bat.

Shikamaru laid to my right, and as I opened my eyes I saw that he was gazing off into the clear blue sky. I stared for a few seconds, frozen in place like a deer in headlights and unsure what my next move should be. Our gazes collided when he turned his head toward me, scrutinizing my wide eyed look and stiff posture. My hands were flat against the grass, pressing hard into it. We stared at one another for a moment before he sighed and broke the silence.

"Don't look at me like that." He said, furrowing his brows.

"…Like what?" I asked softly.

"Like I'm going to hurt you." He replied. "Like you want to run away from me."

I flinched involuntarily, turning my head to the sky.

Did I really look like that?

"Why did you beat up those boys yesterday?"

"Shouldn't you be in school?" I muttered.

"Don't change the subject." Shika retorted. "Why did you do it?"

"Because I wanted to." I snapped. "It isn't any of your business."

I sat up, intending to leave when Shikamaru grabbed my wrist.

"Don't." There was a pleading quality to his voice. "Please."

Shika's expression was a strange mixture of sadness and panic. It was painful, seeing him this upset and knowing that I was the cause. It broke something inside of me and suddenly I was a blubbering mess. Shikamaru looked alarmed as he tried to comfort me, which only made it worse. When had I turned into such a cry baby? I blamed it on my childish body and the easily swayed emotions that came with it.

"Stop being so nice to me." I sobbed.

"No." Shika said, huffing a laugh. "Stop running away from me."

"No."

"Why not?"

"I can't tell you. You'll leave me if I do."

It was what I had feared from the beginning.

The truth was, no matter what people said everyone wants to be accepted in some way. Being rejected by Shikamaru and Chouji would have hurt, especially when I had been so desperate to keep them safe. I was still afraid it would happen, and during these past few months I'd come to terms with our separation. I didn't want to be a part of this village and the boys did; if they ever found out the truth it would end one of two ways. They would betray me, or I would abandon them.

"So don't tell me."

"…What?" I mumbled.

"Everything will be alright if you don't tell me, right?" He said, reaching up and wiping the tears from my face. "So I won't ask then. As long as you stop running away and avoiding me."

"I-I don't want to be friends with you." I stuttered.

"Liar."

He brushed the back of his hand against mine.

"You're going to hate me one day." I told him. "I'm going to hurt you."

"I know." Shika replied.

A sad, worn smile graced his face, and I gave a shuddering sigh as I leaned my head on his shoulder. I didn't make any promises, and I think he understood that I wouldn't be able to. Things couldn't simply go back to the way they used to be; after all, everything was different now. I had formed a bond with both boys though, and that wouldn't be so easily broken. I couldn't just stop caring about them, and my weakness was putting me in a tough position.

My mind was filled with secrets and lies; things I would never be able to tell them. How did we go on if I would have to constantly lie to them, my precious friends? Already the secrets I kept were starting to weigh me down. My only solace was escaping to my mindscape, where the only other being that knew most of my secrets slept. There would be no happy ending here, just as Kurama said. I was going to hurt a lot of people when I finally left; there was no getting around it.

Freedom comes at a price.

And I was selfish enough to pay it.

* * *

A/N

 **Guys, I've put up a poll concerning Nao's love interest, you can find it at the top of my profile.**

Do I have your attention? Good. First off let me stress this to you, _this story isn't about love._ Well, in a way I suppose it is, but not really the romantic kind. While romance will definitely come, it's not a main factor here and I want you guys to remember that along with the fact that Nao is six and a half years old. Romance isn't going to happen until I feel she's at an appropriate age.

That said, I value your opinions as my readers, and I'm willing to let you have a say in who you think should be Nao's love interest. I'm going to leave this poll open until **May 22** **nd** **, 2016.** That gives you guys four weeks to vote, and time for any new comers to have a chance before the timeline goes too far. After that, I'll close the poll and announce our winner. There are going to be some characters that haven't shown up yet, so choose wisely.

Also, I can't get the poll to show from my phone so I really hope you guys don't mind using your computers…

I'm extremely hesitant to put Kakashi on this list because that wasn't really where I had planned on going with his character, but I'm going to do it anyway because it wouldn't be fair to exclude a character I knew I could work with. Also, I'm really curious to see how many of you will end up voting for him.

Anyway, I think we've only got one more chapter before those time-skips start. Right now I'm just wrapping up what needs to be done before one can skip months at a time, so bear with me.

Thoughts? Questions?

Please Review!


	16. Chapter 16

A/N

Surprise!

Minato P.O.V.

Disclaimer: I own nothing, nothing at all.

* * *

It was a privilege, possessing the title of Hokage.

I could not think of a more rewarding job, because despite the piles of paperwork, and the demanding politics, I had been given a chance to bring change to the world. Watching over the village and working towards the path of peace and prosperity was something I took great joy in doing. Responsibility had never daunted me, and being responsible of the entirety of Konoha had felt vaguely intriguing more than anything.

Besides, after surviving a war, the duties that came with the position of Hokage felt delightfully trivial in comparison; the idea that paperwork and meetings, even as the leader of the village, could be as stressful or taxing as the battlefield was laughable in my mind. For a long time I'd thought that while the responsibilities I faced were many, they would never be anything more than a welcomed challenge at best. However, that had been before a certain redheaded, pocket-sized mass of chaos stumbled her way into my care.

Nao was, to put it lightly, a force of nature.

She was a hurricane, stirring the water, disturbing people from their complacency and influencing change one person at a time. I had seen it firsthand, the way Nao could make someone pause and reflect on their actions or ideals by simply being herself. That was her gift; being able to leave an impression on others without meaning to or even realizing it.

I noticed it though, the waves she made and the effects it caused.

It was the little things, at first; The on and off battle of dieting Kushina bemoaned about all but disappearing after taking in Nao, who always seemed just a little too thin. The strange and unusual methods Kushina used to diet were long gone; these days, she made a point to eat everything off her plate whenever Nao was present. I was secretly thankful for that, because it appeared that whenever my wife wanted to pick up her dieting again, she would do it with an almost unhealthy singlemindedness.

Then there was Shikaku.

Konoha's Jonin commander, barely managing to meet his deadlines by nothing more than a hair's width, and a classic Nara that found most village affairs to be troublesome. To anyone else it was completely out of the blue, the sudden interest he had concerning the funding of Konoha's orphanage. The Nara clan had even donated old children's clothes, winter coats and the like. He'd been watching out for Nao, helping her in a way that she wouldn't be able to refuse with her stubborn pride.

These were a few of the good waves, the good ones; sadly though, they were the eye of the hurricane, and I didn't get the pleasure of dealing with them. My job lied with the uglier parts of the storm, the pandemonium she so often left in her wake. I cleaned up the aftermath, and most of the time it was things easily swept under the rug; damaged hospital property, stolen textbooks, disgruntled staff, that sort of thing.

However, there were times when a situation couldn't be conveniently remedied or pacified. It was times like those that I grew weary of my title, because being Hokage _and_ the guardian of Konoha's Kyubi Jinchuriki came at a price, and that price occurred in the form of nosy elders with their own agendas. Twice had I met with the elders and gone to bat for Nao, and now here I was a third time, ready to ward off whatever suggestions they would no doubt _strongly advise_.

Thankfully, this meeting would fare differently than the previous ones had; for one thing, Inoichi, as Nao's therapist, would be present and an excellent source of support. There was also the small detail that Danzo was no longer around to cause me grief. It was that thought that lightened my mood as I entered the conference room and took my seat at the head of the table. With Danzo gone, I was finding that most of the opposition I faced as Hokage had decreased abundantly.

He had left a mess behind, sure, but that was something I'd been prepared for. Now was not the time to be musing on it though, so I placed those thoughts aside as the door opened and Inoichi filed in behind the elder council. From the stiff air that fell upon the room as the former hokage and his companions settled into their seats at the other end of the table, I could tell that the following conversation would be unpleasant as usual, despite the absence of Danzo.

Inoichi, who sat to my right, must have caught on, because he gave a strained smile in an attempt to ease the growing tension. He didn't manage to get a single word out though before they started in, jumping straight to the point.

"Something must be done about the Uzumaki girl." Utatane Koharu announced primly. "She's gone too far this time. There are three separate requests for her expulsion and the school year isn't even halfway through."

"Expulsion?" Inoichi echoed, his tone one of disbelief. He shifted, glancing quickly at each of us before returning his gaze to Utatane and continuing. "That seems rather extreme; after all, it was just a scuffle between children."

" _A scuffle between children_?" Utatane scoffed. "I would hardly call it that. She sent another student to the _hospital_ , and from the reports I've read, the girl's been skipping classes, neglecting her schoolwork, and showing little respect for authority. It's a wonder her reputation has only recently taken a hit."

"She's clearly a troublemaker." Homura Mitokado agreed. "Wouldn't you agree that you have been far too lenient with the child, Hokage-sama? I say it is time to consider our options; Danzo had once said the girl's potential would be wasted in the academy, and from what I've seen so far I can't say that I disagree."

"Nao is under _my_ care," I said firmly, leaning forward. "As her guardian, the only one entitled to make judgement calls concerning her education is _me_. Now, if I understand it correctly, she acted in defense of another student and was disciplined accordingly. Any further action is unwarranted, and it sends the message that coming to the aid of a peer isn't the proper answer. Is that what we're teaching our students these days?"

"What students are _learning_ is that it's acceptable to come and go from school on a whim." Homura retorted, expression curled into the beginnings of a sneer. "If the girl refuses to conform to any of the rules and continues to do whatever she likes, running wild without punishment, then what will stop the other students from following her lead?"

"Who is to say that the best place for her is with the regular classes to begin with?" Utatane remarked. "If the child is half as clever as the reports from her sensei suggests, than her potential is truly being wasted where she is now. Her place is in the new program with the Root twelve, or even outside of the academy where she can learn from a mentor. What good is it leaving her in a class she obviously has little interest in?"

At this Inoichi's expression twisted.

"Absolutely not." His voice was hard, not yet angry. "Nao's place is among the other children in the academy. She needs to be given the chance to be a normal student and progress with the rest of her class at a healthy pace."

"The child should stay where she is." Sarutobi stated. "It would be unwise to move her, especially now. The public eye is on her enough as it is; to remove her from the academy would only gather more attention. The rest of the children from Root will already face scrutiny and distrust from the villagers, I see no reason why Uzumaki Nao should suffer the same hardship."

That was true, a point I'd been trying to circumvent.

The twelve survivors from Root had spent the past week going through psyche exams before they'd been deemed to be a minimal risk to Konoha. In a few weeks they would be introduced to regular society, starring as the academy's first 'Advanced Placement Program' for Konoha's best and brightest. That alone would have been enough to catch interest, but the fact that the children were from Root meant they would be in the spotlight whether they liked it or not.

Inoichi and I had brainstormed for a while, looking for a way to keep the Root twelve's identities a secret while immersing them into Konoha society. In the end the idea had been trashed on the foundation that it would have been impossible to accomplish. Instilling twelve children into the academy would have turned heads no matter what, and giving them false identities would have backfired on us eventually, considering this was a shinobi village and keeping secrets here was close to impossible.

We wanted to give the Root twelve a healthy learning environment, not scar them further and have them lie to their future comrades. Besides, even if we succeeded in joining the Root twelve with the other academy students with little notice taking place, the problems wouldn't end there. Ninety percent of the things students learned in class the Root twelve would already know. They needed a class of their own, to learn important thing Danzo would not have taught them like the will of fire, or teamwork; they needed a class that would nurture them.

None of this would be kept secret, and it was better this way. Nao would stay with her class, because Inoichi was right when he said it was the best environment for her. That said, I couldn't deny that after speaking personally with each of the Root twelve Nao would fit right in with them. It was only a passing thought, and of course one could never be sure of these things.

In my experience, children came in three categories; there were the normal ones, the ones that went to school and did decently on their work before going outside to play with the rest of the children and generally acting care-free. Then there were the prodigies; the ones who achieved high scores, picked up concepts quick and easily, and spent the majority of their free time training or bettering themselves in some way rather than goofing off with their friends or playing games.

And then there was Nao.

It would be inaccurate to call her a prodigy, and yet it was the only term that came closest to describing her. She didn't grasp concepts with the ease of a prodigy like Uchiha Itachi, and the only thing she seemed to excel at was getting herself into sticky situations. There was something about her mind though, the way it worked, that set her apart from ordinary children. It had captured my attention from the moment we'd met; still, it had taken some time for me to pin point what, exactly, it was that made her stand out.

It was her eyes that gave her away.

She had world weary look in them, the kind I had seen a thousand times in shinobi returning home from the war, all looking a little bit less than they'd been before they had left. Nao may have smiled and skipped like a normal little girl, but the look in her eyes was something that could never be fully concealed. It was unnerving, to see a child look so… haunted. She was smart too; there was no genius in her, not in the way a child of the Nara clan was or a prodigal child like Kakashi had been.

Nao moved, breathed, and spoke as if she had seen the best and worst the world had to offer, and understood it, accepted it.

It was as if she had come to a conclusion that the rest of us had yet to see.

"She is already under the public's scrutiny." Homura pointed out. "And when the Program is announced, along with it's occupants, there won't be a single person that doesn't glance her way. Negative or otherwise, the girl will likely always garter attention; putting her into the program will hardly change that."

"That's not what the program is for." I reminded him. "We started this because the Root twelve needed a learning environment where they wouldn't be restricted to learning things they already know while being left out on other subjects they would have missed. Adding more students to the class isn't a part of the plan."

"The program," Utatane murmured. "Can be so much more, if given the chance to flourish; this idea is one we would be fools to discard. The truly talented students, the ones with prodigious skill, their potential is wasted in an ordinary classroom. Is it not unfair to them, being held back by the pace of others? The program would give the talented students a chance to better themselves, and with less children in the regular classes teachers would have more time for the students that need help with their studies."

"Children need peers," Inoichi stressed. "Friends their age to-"

"They can have all of that," Utatane interjected. "Simply by being in the program with other children who are also as gifted; is that not a better solution? The gifted students will have peers they can better relate to, and of course during breaks or lunches they'll have time to socialize with the rest of the academy's students. Why stop with the Root twelve when there are other students who would benefit from the program as well?"

Silence fell upon the room as the rest of us considered her words. For a brief moment I sought for a solid argument against Utatane's logic, but as hesitant as I was to admit it, her line of reasoning made sense. There weren't many children that would be worthy of the program, but for every child that went, teachers had one less student to look out for and that meant more time to focus their attention on the remaining students.

As it was, the program was outlined to accommodate all age groups, and it moved at a pace that benefited each student so sending in a couple more was not entirely impossible. Still, there were obvious problems with the idea, ones I didn't feel like getting into today if I could help it.

"We aren't here to discuss the program" I protested. "Now is not the time to be debating this."

"We might as well." Sarutobi responded. "At the moment, Uzumaki Nao's behavior is of far less importance than the program. The child will not be going anywhere for the foreseeable future, and our time concerning the program is limited."

There was a pause of acknowledgment before Inoichi cleared his throat politely, gathering the room's attention.

"Shall we move on to discussing the Advanced Placement Program then?" He suggested hopefully.

I considered, for a moment, what would be the lesser evil here. Putting off the discussion of Nao meant that I would have to deal with it at a later date, but if I didn't put it off I knew that the elders would continue to bother me with the topic of the program for the rest of today. It seemed that letting the meeting switch topics was in my best interest if I ever wanted to return to my desk and finish the day's paperwork.

"Yes, alright." I sighed. "Let Shikaku in, and we'll get started."

It was going to be a long day.

* * *

"The Advanced Placement Program," Shikaku began as he slid a thin file across the table toward me. "Is in the final stages of phase one. A classroom has been secured, the schedule is in place, and the curriculum has been outlined as much as is possible in this situation."

I caught the file before it halted and flicked it open, skimming over the few pages it contained. Everything looked to be in order, and I nodded my thanks as I let the file close. Later, if I ever managed to make it back to my office, I would take a closer look and write out any necessary notes.

"Any word from Tsunade-sama?" I inquired.

"None." Shikaku sighed. "I suspect we won't be hearing back from her any time soon."

"It was worth trying." Inoichi commented. "Though I'm beginning to think that maybe her silence is a blessing; Tsunade-sama may be talented, but she'd probably be a little too rough around the edges for this particular job."

"An ordinary teacher from the academy simply won't do though." Homura remarked. "They are mostly chunin, which is not what we need. Time is running out as well, we have another week, maybe a little more, before the announcement must be made."

"The full council has yet to even be debriefed." Shikaku added. "So really we have less time than that to pull this together if we want the full stamp of approval from them. Of course, it can be done without their support, though I would advise against it. A united front is what Konoha needs now more than ever, especially in light of the recent attacks. The other villages are no doubt watching us and weighing the risk of breaking alliances, waiting to see if we're as vulnerable and open to attack as we appear to be."

This was why we needed Tsunade-sama; or rather, her reputation. Sensei had wandered out of the village once more, but with any luck he would be able to track her down after I got a message to him. It was highly unlikely of the other hidden villages would even consider war with two of the Sannin back in the Hidden Leaf. I myself had gained a reputation after the Third Shinobi War, but it wasn't something I was counting on, and anyway it would be a bit too vain of me to think that my reputation alone would keep the other nations away.

"If they're foolish enough to try and attack us," Sarutobi began. "Then that is their mistake. It may not come to that though, we shall wait and see. In the meantime, I think it would be best to refrain from stepping on any toes if possible."

"Then we need to be in agreement." Utatane said. "The Advanced Placement Program should be open to accepting Prodigal children. Whether or not the child in question would like to enter the program will be up to them of course, so long as they meet the requirements to attend in the first place."

"You want to add more children to the program before we've even found a suitable teacher?" Shikaku asked incredulously.

"Obviously not." Utatane scoffed. "A trial run will have to be done with the Root twelve, to make sure everything goes smoothly, before we can even think about accepting more students. A month or two should suffice, and once that is done a select few could be chosen as candidates to see if they fill the requirements of being in the program."

"There are so many holes in that plan." Shikaku sighed. "Like whether the teacher we find will be open to more students, and what exactly the defining factor of a prodigal student will be. Our priority right now should be the Root twelve, and making their adjustment as easy and stress free as humanly possible."

"Are we not capable of doing both?" Homura retorted. "Getting the program going and settled is important, but once it's there we lose an advantage by pushing the idea of accepting students back for another time. What better way to show that our village is still strong and on the rise than by making the Advanced Placement Program an elite form of education? Something that would give our academy's students the motivation to strive toward?"

"And how exactly would we do that?" Inoichi asked cautiously.

"We begin by finding a teacher any student would want to learn from." Sarutobi responded. "One that makes the program look like something to strive for."

"You agree with us then?" Utatane questioned him.

"I do." He answered.

With that declaration, most of the fight seemed to go out of Shikaku. His shoulders slumped in defeat as he leaned back into her chair with an expression that could only be exasperation. He was clearly beaten here, if all three of the elders were actually agreeing on something. I shot him a sympathetic look, because I understood his disagreement. Once more, I pondered on the possible downsides of this arrangement, trying to find a solid excuse to put it off.

Except all I could think of were the ways it would actually be beneficial.

Once the Root twelve settled down into a routine within the program, more students would eventually enter into their class and expand their horizons. They would have peers to bond with, ones that could possibly understand them better than others would be able to. It was a gamble on how the public would react at first, but with a legendary teacher like Tsunade-sama, many would look to the program as an elite form of education, a place to work toward.

It was common knowledge, to me at least, that most prodigal children had trouble making and maintaining relationships with their peers during the academy years. Perhaps they would have a better chance to bond with children that were on a similar level to them. That had been something that I'd wanted for Kakashi in his childhood, to have friends that challenged his mind and surrounded him in such a way so that he never felt like an outsider, or alone.

It was something I wanted for Nao too.

Nao, who spent so much time shutting out the world. It was so obvious to see that despite how hard Kushina, Kakashi, or I tried, she thought she was alone. Maybe it was because none of us could ever truly understand her, and she'd figured that out. Nao was the enigma in a sea of anomalies. She was on a frequency that we couldn't reach, but what if one of the children in the Advanced Placement Program could?

What if this was exactly what she needed?

What price would be paid?

Our enemies would no doubt set their sights on the children who were gifted enough to catch the interest of a man like Danzo. There was also the fact that by outing the Root twelve, we were giving the public another reason to turn their gazes back on Nao, who was supposedly the only survivor of Root. Nao was already a target though, and there was nothing to be done about the attention she had gained.

A good portion of shinobi had already begun to cast their suspicion over her, finding it to be too much of a coincidence that she had been 'kidnapped' into Root headquarters on the very day it was massacred. Wild theories had spread through the rumor mill; she was secretly an agent of Root that had helped fake Danzo's death, or a sleeper agent from another village sent to spy on Konoha.

They were the kind of rumors that no one actually believed, and it was a silently acknowledged truth that while the theories were worthless, Nao was definitely worth keeping an eye on. If the program turned into something that could be beneficial to her, then what right did I have to deny it my support? Nao's wellbeing, her happiness, was one of my priorities as her guardian; I wanted, more than anything, for her to be happy here.

So I would play along with the elder council's idea, see where it went and if it succeeded. Nao had asked to meet the Root twelve, and I would make sure she did well before the program was announced. After that, whether she entered or not, would be up to her. The elders could have my support, and we could go further into depth with this plan, just not at this very moment.

Because my desk, and the pile of work on it, was calling to me.

Leaving it for another day was simply not an option.

"Right then, you have my support; we'll meet again tomorrow to iron out the finer details." I stood from the conference table, file in hand. "Clear your schedules, because if we have to spend the entire day in here to get everything together, then that's what we'll do. I want to present this to the council by Monday, rather than delaying it."

"That's three days away." Shikaku exclaimed, looking vaguely alarmed. "Three days to work out the details, come to a full agreement on them, and figure out the most beneficial way to present this to the council and persuade them that it's something they want to support."

"Yes, I know." It would be a challenge, and I was quite fond of those. Inoichi and the elders rose, sensing the dismissal on the tip of my tongue. As we filed into the hall and parted ways, my predecessor fell into step with me. I said nothing, waiting patiently for an explanation as we strolled through the building.

"I'd like to have a word, Minato-kun, if you don't mind." He murmured as we reached my office.

I nodded, gesturing him in before closing the door behind us and activating the privacy seals. The third's demeanor was completely at ease as he strolled towards the window to the right of my desk as gazed out at the village. I joined him, pausing for a moment to admire the way the setting sun painted the sky in hues of pink, orange, and purple. The colors clashed with the greenery of Konoha, making the village come alive as the light began to fade into night.

It was a view I would never tire of.

Still, there were more important things to linger on, so I set those thoughts aside, and turned to address the matter at hand. My gaze collided with the Third's, and it was the sharp familiar gleam in his eyes that told me what I needed to know.

"You're worried." I stated.

"Yes," He hummed.

"Why?"

"There is much to worry about, these days." Sarutobi explained. "The past couple of months have not been peaceful."

"No." a dry laugh escaped me. "They most certainly have not."

"You've invested much into the Root twelve." He began. "Do you think it will pay off, in the end? That they will be able to succeed here, despite the odds and obsticles they face?"

"…There's a better world out there than the one they've been shown," I told him. "A better life, one worth living and fighting for. Isn't our duty to guide the next generation, to look after them and help them when they stumble? The academy's students are the future of Konoha and the Root twelve are already part of that future as well; it won't be easy, but I think at the very least they deserve the chance."

"Well said." The third praised. "Let us hope then, that time is on our side so that they do indeed get that chance."

"Ah, are you feeling uneasy as well?"

"Yes. I suspect we are on thinner ice than either of us imagined."

"Unfortunately, I'll have to agree with you there." I murmured. "Now, the question is, will bringing Jiraiya-sensei and Tsunade-sama back strengthen the ice, or break it?"

"Without them, we face greater chance of an attack from the Hidden villages." He mused. "With them, we risk a war with more than one village, should sensitive information come to light."

"It would probably appear as if we were preparing for war." I added. "Bringing an esteemed medic and war hero like Tsunade-sama back along with Jiraiya-sensei. Of course, it will only look that way if the sensitive information is learned. Only five of us know of it to begin with, so the chances are low, for now."

"It isn't a secret we will be able to hide forever." Sarutobi acknowledged. "Should any of them find out, we'll likely have a Five Kage Summit on our hands at best."

"And if Kumo or Iwa finds out first…"

"We'll be at war, no doubt about it."

"Well then," I hummed. "if it comes to that, I suppose it'll be a good thing we have the Sanbi."

"Yes." Sarutobi said, amusement soaking his tone. "That might be helpful, should conflict arise."

"Two Jinchuriki are better odds than one, not that we could have helped it."

"Well," The third mused. "I doubt any of the Kage will see it that way."

* * *

A/N

I have clawed my way out of the depths of hell (the writing slump) and have returned!

I know I said that I wouldn't do another male P.O.V. for a while but inspiration struck and then this chapter just sort of happened. That time skip that I keep talking about is close, very close. I just have so many things to do, ends to tie up before we can speed our way to almost the beginning of canon (you know, the one I completely destroyed by accident and will follow in the vaguest way possible.). Readers often tell me they enjoy how AU the fic is, and I really hope they weren't lying because that's going to continue.

Anyway, I know this chapter was very small, but it needed to be done. We learned some interesting things, and got a bit of insight into Minato's head. Expect more updates, because by the miracle of god I'm somehow on a roll right now.

Thought? Questions?

Please Review!


	17. Chapter 17

A/N

Sorry Sorry Sorry dear god please forgive me for such a long hiatus.

To my newest readers: Don't hate me but I literally combed through every chapter you just went through the trouble of reading and did some major editing. I won't ask you guys to reread it or anything because that would be cruel and the changes I made weren't exactly earth shattering, so you can continue on in relative understanding.

To my loyal older readers that haven't abandoned me; I know, I know, how dare I fuck around with past chapters rather than writing a new one like a responsible author should. But see, here's this nice, lovely chapter for you guys, and thank you for bearing with me. I don't expect any of you to reread said past chapters either, it was pretty much done for my peace of mind. I spent such a long time away from this fic that I didn't understand my own notes and I had to read through the entire thing to get my thoughts together and my god it was a painful experience.

Anyway, I do have a list of excellent reasons for my long absence (honestly, I do) but I'm not going to do the dishonor of explaining myself, because I know that there really is no excuse for how I left you, my darling readers, hanging. We all get kicked while we're down and that didn't give me the right to disappoint any of you.

You guys really deserve better than that, and I am horrendously apologetic.

So please except my apology chapter.

Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to, well, not me.

* * *

The Konoha education system was a sad, sad thing to behold.

My week-long suspension did not turn out to be much of a punishment; in the end, it really more of a vacation with twice the amount of learning experienced, and this, I found, was truly the height of irony. In a single week I learned more outside of the academy than I'd ever had than in the month I had been enrolled there. Then again, there was a good reason for this, and it was that somehow, somewhere along the way the universe seemed to have realized that an Uzumaki Nao with too much free time on her hands was undoubtedly a dangerous thing.

Spurned by this divine revelation, many of the people in my life came together and took action, filling my week entirely.

It started with Kushina, who'd decided to cut the physical portion of my training in half to make room for a newer, more spiritual part. She called it spiritual balance, and though I'd never admit to it, secretly I began to enjoy this aspect of our training, and even looked forward to it. Spiritual balance was meditating, breathing with the flow of my chakra and finding that point of harmony between body and mind. It was building a stable foundation, something Kushina insisted was key to maintaining control as a Jinchuriki.

That wasn't all, though.

Sometimes I would listen as, with somberness rarely seen, she told tales of old, passed down through the people of Uzushiogakure. It was clear how much these stories meant to her, the faraway look in her eyes, the hushed quality in her tone; she never spoke of them outside our training, and I was often left with the suspicion that these tales were meant for my ears alone. When she spoke of such things, Kushina became a different person; uncharacteristically serious, quiet, and contemplative. When we finished, she would bounce back to her normal self and I could never bring myself to ask.

Some matters were better left alone.

Once my morning was sufficiently eaten away, Kushina would scamper off to do whatever it was that she did during the day, leaving me to my own devices. Normally, this would be the beginning of free time, but as I had said earlier, there were dark forces at work, determined to fill every ounce my schedule. One of those dark forces came in the form of Uchiha Itachi, making good on his promise to teach me the ways of the world. Now, he did not attempt to teach me a new jutsu of any kind, or how to properly throw a kunai; Itachi was smart, so we started out with the basics, on a skill far, far more relevant to my future.

We began with stealth.

Unfortunately, my chakra control was not what it used to be; I could no longer walk on vertical surfaces with ease. My control, while not horrendous, was nothing to boast about and according to Itachi control was of the utmost importance to a shinobi's continued existence, so he ordered me to do chakra exercises every morning and every night as a sort of homework. During the day he would explain the concept behind things like silent movement and the ability to hide the presence of one's chakra.

Itachi was an excellent teacher, and to my surprise he never had a problem with holding my attention. He would also go on to talk about his own thoughts or theories on stealth, and how he had learned to apply them. There was no major growth to be found in my skills during that week, the world simply did not work that way, and I was okay with that because finally, for once, I was actually learning something useful and unlike lectures at the academy, Itachi's words left a fire in me.

There was so much possibility in the world, and I was thrilled with the idea that it was ripe for the taking, waiting until I was free to pursue it. I wanted to learn everything there was to know and thankfully Itachi was willing to teach me. He seemed to enjoy teaching, too; always coming prepared, and speaking freely with a spark in his eye. With the knowledge that we both benefited from this arrangement, I was able to go into our sessions without worrying about ill intentions or ulterior motives on his part.

He taught me at home, in the park, on top of the mountain, and everywhere in between.

The destination was always changing, unimportant in the grand scheme of things, and there was something refreshing about it; learning happened everywhere, it was not restricted to a classroom setting. We spent hours at it together, student and teacher, until the school day ended and my friends came looking for me.

It was a surreal feeling, being able to talk with Shikamaru and Chouji again.

The three of us had changed, and with that so had our interactions. Spending time together was still nice, but it was also kind of painful. There was Chouji, who didn't really understand what had happened, too afraid to ask and simply grateful to have me back. Then there was Shika, who had the vaguest clue as to what our future held; he watched me like a hawk at times, with just the faintest hint of desperation about him. Some part of him seemed to know that our time together was not as it should be, and that somewhere in the world there was a clock ticking down.

Finally, there was myself.

Being with them was like watching someone you love get sick, knowing that your time together was limited and trying to cherish the moments you had left. The difference here was that, out of the three of us, only I was fully aware of the dwindling time; the memories we shared would always be tinged with the bitter aftertaste of it. By god, it hurt, but I was not half-hearted in my decision, and so I would bear with it.

Our days together were weighed down by it, and all three of us could feel it.

I swallowed the guilt, making the most of each day before dusk would arrive and we were forced to part ways. Any feelings I had about the inevitable was ultimately not strong enough to overcome my desire for freedom, so said feelings were shoved deep down and promptly locked away. I was able to focus on other things afterward, like dinner with the Namikazes and the treasure trove Minato had been kind enough to grant me.

In light of my absence from the academy, Minato had given me free reign of his study (with the obvious exclusion of his desk) in the hopes that I would be productive and learn literally anything rather than let my mind fester for a week. Of course, I now had a towering stack by my bedside and a couple more filled notebooks, so in the end I suppose he got what he wanted. After dinner I studied until my eyes were drooping, and then I would fall asleep only to wake up the next morning and repeat the routine.

But I digress.

There was a point here, and it was that I had a grand time during the week of my suspension; lots learned, with hardly any time to worry over all the problems piling up. Today was supposed to be my first day back, but I wasn't ready to return to normal life, and that was how I found myself contemplating ways to extend said vacation. I sat at the breakfast table with the usual crowd, the Namikazes and ye old team seven, tuning out their ruckus as a plot began to form in my mind.

Regrettably, I'd forgotten Minato and his mind reading capabilities. He seemed to know exactly where my train of thought lay, because with a hard stare in my direction he told me, "Don't even think about it."

I blinked innocently

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Nao-chan," He began sweetly. "I know that look. It's an Uzumaki look, and Kushina makes the very same one when she's about to do something she knows I won't like. Go to school, and for kami's sake don't make any trouble because if you do, I'll know, and there will be something very unpleasant waiting for you when you get home."

Minato meant it too; I could see it in his eyes. I was vaguely curious as to what a man like him classified as unpleasant though, and against my better judgement I found myself asking, "Unpleasant, how?"

"Oh, you know…" He replied menacingly. " _Unpleasant_."

I paused, considering this.

"Right then, to school it is." I stopped fiddling with the food on my plate and hopped down from the table. Naruto glanced up as I did so, and after checking to make sure he was done eating I beckoned him to follow. At the other end of the table Kushina mumbled something about not having a look, to which her husband smiled at her fondly.

"You have a look, love." He said kindly, before turning to address me. "Nao-chan, are you finished eating already?"

He eyed the leftovers I scraped into the garbage, and I shrugged.

I wasn't very hungry.

As one, the adults shared a look I didn't really understand, and I would have commented on it had Naruto not tripped in his haste to clean up. It happened as he passed me, and I caught him by the arm on impulse. Sadly, the plate was not so fortunate and it broke against the floor, splitting into sharp shards and spilling eggs everywhere. Naruto cringed at the sound and looked to his mother with wide eyes.

"Sorry," He said sheepishly. "I'll clean it up."

"Don't" I hit his hand away from the floor, eyeing the sharp pieces.

Kushina was already up and getting the dust pan. She patted Naruto's head reassuringly. "It's okay, I got this. You two run along to school or you'll end up being late."

Naruto hesitated, before nodding and grabbing his bag off the chair. There was a chorus of goodbyes as we headed out of the kitchen, and for a single second my gaze collided with Kakashi's and I received a _look_ ; I stepped into the hall and ignored it, just as I'd ignored the last twenty looks thrown my way. All week Kakashi had been doing this; I suspected he was less than pleased with my performance in the academy, though of course I couldn't be sure since I hadn't bothered to ask.

It was difficult to get to the bottom of our issues at hand, and I knew this better than anyone because I had made an honest effort; the only problem was that every time, without fail, our interactions always ended the same way.

It would go something like this:

I'd come home from wherever, we would crowd around for dinner, and then Kakashi would give me the _look,_ as though I should be ashamed of myself or something. This would undoubtedly piss me off, and in return I would give him another _look_ , and dinner would continue, slowly unraveling into an uncomfortable affair as the tension in the air thickened. Kakashi would not be the first to break our unwavering silence, and neither would I, and that left the two of us in some weird staring contest. I didn't know what the prize was for whoever lasted the longest, only that I did not want to lose.

In fact, I didn't even know what the hell we were fighting about; I was only angry that Kakashi was angry, and he wasn't even all that angry. He seemed more frustrated than anything, but since he hadn't deemed to tell me why and I wasn't a mind reader, there was nothing I could reasonably do about it. We were both being childish and stubborn, but the problem was neither of us would be the first to openly admit it.

That meant we were at an impasse.

I think I would have been more upset with the state of things had it been any other point in time. As it was though, we were in the present and I had for more concerning matters to attend to; there was the Root children I still had to meet and hopefully help guide to a better life, Umino Iruka and his god damn knowing gaze, the absolute demolishment of anything resembling the canon Naruto plotline, my crumbling reputation as a pretty average academy student, the attacks on Konoha, my new alarming habit of falling into my mindscape, and finally, my shaky plans for freedom.

Oh, and then there was Ren.

Ren, and the god forsaken puzzle rattling around in my mind, just waiting to be solved. However, I was not getting into that at the moment, so I pushed such thoughts aside as Naruto and I began our march to the academy. The walk was not a quiet one, as my blond companion chattered about the things I had missed during my suspension. Naruto, bless his soul, was still angry over my punishment and apparently he had made this quite clear to anyone close enough to listen.

It was a sweet thought, imagining Naruto's outrage as he told the tale of injustice to people who likely didn't care but weren't brave enough to stop him; I resisted the urge to coo at the boy and pinch his cheek as we entered the academy gates. Even though it had been nice of him to stick up for me, I was happy that nothing had seemed to come out of it. What Naruto perceived to be a gross miscarriage of justice might have held true, had I been anyone else.

With the sole exception of myself, everyone involved in the fight had been given detention. I had attacked in the defense of a friend, but since I had technically landed the first blow I was apparently the instigator and therefore needed a more severe punishment. I'd sent a child to the hospital, for which I had no excuse, so the suspension had seemed fair enough to me; plus, I'd gotten a sweet vacation out of it.

So I wasn't holding a grudge against the board of education, and in light of the situation I couldn't even bring myself to be mad. We entered the school building and I followed behind Naruto as he led us up the stairs and down the hall, ignoring the glances people sent our way with impressive determination. As we entered the classroom and a hush fell over our classmates, it occurred to me that Naruto might have been dealing with repercussions and this sort of behavior over the course of the past week.

Not once did he falter, instead pretending nothing was amiss as he climbed to our usual table in the middle levels and plopped into his seat with a chipper attitude. Sasuke was already there, also ignoring our classmates though that was far from unusual. He raised a brow at me as I took my own seat closest to the window, waiting expectantly for something. We stared at one another for a moment, him with anticipation and me with confusion. Eventually the silence grew awkward and I was forced to break it.

"Good morning, Sasuke. Please stop looking at me that way; I don't know what you want."

He scowled. "You're a pain."

And with that, he turned away, leaving me mildly stunned.

What the hell did he mean by that? I didn't get the chance to ask, because at that moment Iruka arrived and class began. There was a strange restlessness about my classmates, and I could only guess that they, like myself, were waiting for Iruka to bring up the fight or my suspension; maybe to tell me welcome back, or something of the like but he never did. Rather, he steam rolled forward with class activities, not giving anyone a chance to think on it anymore.

The knowing glint in his eye was still there every time our gazes met, but there was something less… alarming about it now and I had a feeling that there would be no action on his part. I found this to be equally relieving and unsettling; nothing ever really went my way without some sort of backlash, and the lack of negativity over the past week left me in a state of cautious suspicion. Oddly enough, there had been an overwhelming amount of positivity in the last week, and nothing bad had really happened to ruin it either.

Like, yeah I had a shit-list of problems going on, but none of them were hitting that traumatic point. My world was not on the verge of collapse, and it left a bad taste in my mouth. Surely I was due for some kind of earth shattering experience to further damage my sanity and wellbeing. Perhaps it would be the waiting that would do me in; waiting for the other shoe to drop, for everything to go to hell in a hand basket.

Either way, I did not like this.

Then Iruka clapped his hands, a bright smile on his face and said. "Alright kids, today is the beginning of year one's Physical Endurance Exams so remember to do your best because this will affect your rankings!"

And all was right in the world.

* * *

Physical Endurance Exams, or as I liked to call it, PEE, were held every three months of our academy careers in order to assess our progress and make sure we were up to par with the expectations set upon us. It was the end of April, our class was a month into the year and during that month our bodies had been training for this very test. Iruka had given us clear instructions to practice and exercise outside of class, and with the promise of a possible higher class rank, many students had taken his words to heart.

I had a problem.

Unlike my peers, I had not taken our sensei's words to heart. Class rank had little impact on me, I did not exercise outside of the academy other than my training with Kushina, and a week ago the physical aspect of said training had been cut in half. Adding that to the fact that my suspension from class meant I was not participating in P.E. with everyone else, and there was a clear picture to be seen here.

I was screwed.

As we were herded outside to join the rest of our year, I felt a small part of my soul wither and die. Minato had made it clear that under no circumstances was I to skip class or get into trouble, and I knew better than to test him on it. There would be no getting out of this and try as I might I couldn't see any benefit to be gained here. If I came at this test with everything I had, it would still not impress anyone. All I had working for me was stamina, and while that was a useful skill I certainly wouldn't be inclined to show it off.

My year gathered together at the side of the academy running track as one of the first year teachers stepped forward and began explaining how this would go down. We would be split into two groups, A and B, and take turns being assessed; this made it easier on the teachers, and gave both groups equal amount of resting time. The first test was one of stamina, where we would run as many laps as possible before collapsing.

We were arranged into two, and because life is cruel I ended up in group A. You would think that maybe this sort of thing would be decided by last names or something, but apparently not. As one, my group huddles over to the starting line and despite my efforts I don't have much of a chance to look for a familiar face before we're told to begin. Some kids sprint off, eager to be ahead and in the lead, while others go at a steady jog; always one to go with the flow, I follow the joggers, keeping to the middle at all times.

Out of our forty-odd group, about seven people had gone ahead, racing one another for the lead spot though it was pointless. In the distance I think I spot Naruto's blond head but it's hard to tell as I was one of the shortest of my class and that meant peering over and around others. I lose sight of him as we round our first lap and someone taps on my shoulder. I glance behind me to find Shika jogging away leisurely, an expression of distain on his face as I move to make room for him.

"Exercise." He says it like it's a dirty word, and I grin in agreement.

We run together after that, neither of us speaking in order to conserve energy, and I find myself glad to have someone suffering alongside me. Six laps in the first person drops out, hands on her knees and huffing. Over the next two laps three more people join her, and I'm careful to keep track of each person. Group A was made up of forty-two students, and on any given school day we were forced to run around eight laps on this track.

There were a handful of clan kids that had already been in shape before beginning at the academy, and so while eight laps were not exactly effortless to them, they could still be completed with minimal struggle. That said, clan kids only made up about fifteen percent of the first years, and the rest of us were not nearly as equipped to handle the physical exertion as them. Many children were from civilian families, unaccustomed to this sort of life and weak willed enough to give in quicker than the other kids.

For them, there were other paths than the shinobi one.

Those were the ones that did not practice as much, and they didn't always finish the laps we were assigned in gym. It wasn't unusual for some to slow down or stop momentarily to catch their breath; these were exams though, there were no breaks and anyone that stopped was disqualified. I had done the math, and I knew that I wouldn't be able to drop out until about twenty kids had. That would leave me at a perfect average, hopefully enough to pacify Iruka, because I would not be putting in any more effort; above average was a nice, respectable place to be in my opinion.

On our ninth lap, group A had split considerably, with another three gone and ten more beginning to lag. As the gap widened, Shika and I were faced with a decision; did we continue on with the more athletic side or fall back to the slower ones? We were both sweaty and gross, our breathing labored as group A trouped on. Our eyes met and unanimously it was decided we would stick to the slower crowd, where the two of us rightfully belonged. My muscles burned, and silently I begged my peers to lose their will so that I too could stop running.

Twelve laps in, and another four had accepted defeat.

I was at the very back of the slow crowd, red faced and with a stitch in my side. Poor Shika, lazy as myself, had begun to wheeze; whatever his game plan had been, I was given the distinct impression that he no longer cared for it. He slowed to a near crawl, waving me on as I was abandoned. I might have felt betrayed, if I had not been considering the same thing. Two more followed him, and hope bloomed in me; I only needed to wait for one or two more kids and then my misery would be over. I was waiting eagerly for the next victim when Naruto appeared out of nowhere, startling me.

"Hey, nee-chan!" He laughed. "I just lapped you! Better hurry up, or you'll be eating my dust."

He'd barely broken a sweat, his breath only just beginning to sound labored. I stared at Naruto with disgust, unable to cope with such a cheerful disposition as he proceeded to pass me and two others. I gave up then, not even bothering to finish the lap before taking my rightful place among the other dropouts. Shikamaru was lying on his back in the grass, too tired to do more than grunt in acknowledgment as I joined him. We didn't watch to see who lasted longest, and only after about fifteen minutes the survivors were called to stop so that the next group could begin.

Group B was given the same amount of time, and when the hour was up my group was called to action once more. This was how the morning proceeded, one after another until we were granted mercy in the form of lunch. As we were dismissed, I somehow found the energy to crawl my way under the shade of a nice tree, Shika and Chouji not far behind

"That was a nightmare." Chouji said as he settled in the shaded grass. "Thank god it's over for today."

"We still have two more days of exams though." I pointed out sadly. "That's three days of torture every three months for the next six years."

"I'm gonna die."

"Actually," Shikamaru corrected. "the physical exams become shorter every year as the classes get smaller. By sixth year it'll only last a single day."

He was probably right. With so many students to test it was obvious why the exam lasted three days. As we moved up in the academy though there would be a lot of drop outs and failures, so the time spent would only decrease the longer we were here. Our first year class was made up of eighty four students. Eighty four kids, and only twelve graduates to receive genin teams. What astoundingly horrific odds those were; four different classes that would be cut down to a single one in the span of six years.

"Do you think we'll make it to sixth year?" I mused aloud. Part of me didn't truly believe we would, it seemed more likely many of us would die in an attack or something equally terrible. The odds were definitely not in our favor, and a dark part of me could see the irony to be found here; the danger was supposed to be after we graduated, not before.

Neither boy said anything for a moment, both likely imagining our poor chances.

Chouji sighed, a wistful expression on his face. "Maybe we won't get that far, but we should try, I think; there's no harm in trying."

He looked over at us hopefully, and I couldn't help the sinking feeling in my stomach as I smiled and nodded in agreement. I wanted to reassure him, to say that it would all be okay, and we'd make it just fine. It would be a lie though, and I would not lie to my friends if I did not have to. So instead I turned my gaze to the sky and said nothing, letting the conversation fall away.

The silence was weighed once more, and it remained so until the bell rang and lunch came to an end.

We separated in the halls, and I saluted the two of them before entering the classroom. Sasuke and Naruto were already there, along with most of the class; I was unbothered by the eyes on me as I moved to my seat, taking care to meet anyone's gaze that lingered too long. To my right Naruto was boasting about the amount of laps he had completed on the track, though he quieted down as Iruka brought the class to attention.

My mind began to drift as he went into a lecture about kanji and different spellings of things.

I had a decent grasp on the language of this world, and I really wasn't interested in another rehash of what I already knew. The academy could be so dull when I wasn't learning about things like chakra, and it was during these times that the classroom felt especially painful. I hated being bored, especially when there were a million other things I could be doing. Minato would have my head if I continued skipping out though; god, I wished I was anywhere else right now, anywhere but here.

And then, strangely enough, I was.

Between one blink and the next I went from sitting in my desk, to the dark sewer-like dwelling of my mindscape. From behind the gate two red eyes stared out at me in mild surprise, and I stared back disbelievingly. I looked left, then right, taking in the shadows and the watery floor. I paused, and they did not disappear.

"God damn it."

* * *

"Why does this keep happening to me?" I sat close to the gate, with my arms crossed. There was no response from Kurama, who had his eyes closed in a vain attempt to ignore my presence. I sighed, and continued. "This isn't normal, is it? Then again, nothing about me is normal… but this is on another level of unhealthy, right?"

Again, no response.

I grunted, falling onto my back. Clearly Kurama was not in the mood to entertain, which was kind of rude considering I was already here and in distress. I hadn't meant to go into my mindscape, I'd just accidentally slipped into it and though I might not be an expert on affairs of the Jinchuriki mind, I was pretty sure this was not supposed to happen. What should I do about it though? Telling anyone did not feel like an option, the last thing I wanted was someone fucking with the seal, or worse, with my mind.

It wasn't exactly an emergency, either; maybe I just needed time to learn to control it. If that was the case then there would be no point in worrying anyone over it; it wasn't as though my life was in danger. Bringing it up would only cause me unnecessary problems. I already had enough issues to deal with as it was. Something caught my eye just as I thought that, and I turned to my right to see one of the shadows.

It stood out from the rest, just the faintest bit darker and apparently far bolder, as it had broken off from its companions and had begun to slowly creep forward. A shiver ran through me as it approached, and while keeping a careful eye on it I called out.

"Er, Kurama? There's shadow coming. Maybe you should squish it before it reaches me and we find out what unspeakable horrors it unleashes?"

He said nothing, and I was forced to look away from the shadow for a moment to make sure he'd even heard me. Kurama held one eye open, observing the slow progress of the shadow with faint interest. I huffed and turned my gaze back to the shadow, watching the unsettling way it moved. It was nearly twenty feet from me now, and I looked back to Kurama pleadingly. With a resigned sigh he sat up, and gave the shadow a considering glance.

"Perhaps we should see what it does." He said. "I'm curious about the unspeakable horrors you mentioned."

"What? No!"

It grew closer, fifteen feet and then pausing a moment before continuing its pursuit.

"Kill it!" I squeaked.

I did not want to find out what happened if it touched me.

There was an air of amusement from Kurama as he brought his great claw down on the shadow and it was no more. "You are a bothersome host." He told me.

"Yes, well, I enjoy living." I replied. "God only knows what those things can do, I can't fathom the reason why you haven't gotten rid of them all yet."

Cue signature glare.

"Do not make this my problem." Kurama growled. "It does not matter how many I crush, they simply keep reappearing, their numbers growing. This was never a problem before you came along, useless girl. Get rid of them yourself."

"Oh, right." I eyed the shadows as they kept to the darker corners and walls. They probably were my fault, but at the moment I wasn't exactly sure how to get rid of them and if I was being honest with myself, I didn't really want to get into that; they were super creepy. I cleared my throat, "Look, I get what you're saying, but consider this; I have many, many other things to worry about and no time to deal with shadows."

Kurama squinted at me.

"You're afraid of them, aren't you?"

"…That's beside the point." I scrambled to change the subject. "You know, I still don't know what I'm going to do about the whole Ren thing, and then there are the children from Root to think about. Their futures are very important, especially if there's a chance that they end up in ANBU or something. Growing close to them and learning what they're capable of could be useful if they're ever sent after us in the future."

He paused, knowing I was simply trying to distract him with good points.

"If that human turns out to be part of the organization that worries you, then something must be done about him. As for the children, I say we eliminate them now before they become trouble. And after that you will deal with the filth in here."

His tone was full of demand, and I sputtered for a moment, trying to find words.

At last, I said. "I can't go killing children!"

"Why not?"

"Because- because it's immoral! It's wrong, why the hell would I do that? They're just little kids, what kind of harm am I supposed to expect from them?"

"Do not be naïve." He smiled unkindly. "What you perceive to be mere innocent children is a falsehood. Are they not trained killers, skilled enough to have been handpicked by yet another one of your cruel humans?"

There was nothing I could say to that, and Kurama continued.

"Looking young and harmless does not make one so; you yourself should know this better than anyone. You also know the potential they have, the possibility. Will you honestly say that they will not grow to be yet another obstacle in your way? Can you truly afford the opposition?"

I was silent, gaze on the floor.

He was right and we both knew it; the Root twelve children could be a nightmare if given the chance to flourish. No matter how deeply I inserted myself into their lives, there was no way of knowing if it would be enough to keep them from opposing me. The stakes were already high, my odds not great; but could I bring myself to end the lives of those children to better my chances?

If it had been an adult, the answer would have been yes, of course.

I would do what needed to be done, nine times out of ten; I was selfish, and had no qualms about putting myself first.

But I did not think I had it in me to flat out kill a child.

"We can't say what the future holds." I spoke softly. "Recklessly killing will do me no good, and it would be beyond stupid to just start taking people out before I have all the information. We don't know if the Root Twelve will be a problem yet, and neither do we know what Ren's intentions are. Nothing can be done until I have a full picture."

"Then get out there and find out what it is we're missing." Kurama huffed angrily. "You've been here long enough, surely someone will have noticed."

"I'm working on it." I sighed.

I moved into a meditating position, focusing on thoughts of the outside world; I pictured my seat, the desk and my companions sitting at it, the classroom with its levels and Iruka at the bottom writing on the board. The hush of my mindscape fell away, and I could hear the cacophony of pencil on paper, feel the desk in front of me. I blinked once, and then twice, and I was back. It was disorientating, like waking from a dream, not yet settled into reality.

In my haze, I glanced to the side and caught Sasuke looking at me. His brows were furrowed, lips pressed together. I swallowed and looked away, finding the clock which read 2:30. A lot of time had passed then, though it hadn't felt like two hours in my mind. I tuned back in to what Iruka was saying, deciding it couldn't hurt to give the man my attention for thirty minutes. From the corner of my eye I saw Sasuke turn away and go back to his work.

I opened the notebook in front of me and pretended to take notes while Iruka continued on about meanings and phrases. As the clock ticked down, he mentioned the meaning behind one of my classmate's name, and a thought struck me. Did the name Ren have any particular meaning? Was there a reason he'd told it to me? I had no way of knowing if it was his real name or one he'd chosen for himself. Surely there wasn't any harm in asking?

I waited for the bell to ring, dismissing class for the day.

As my classmates began packing up and leaving, I moved at a slower pace. Naruto and Sasuke had already finished and waited for me expectantly. As we moved down the stairs I paused and tapped Sasuke's shoulder.

"I need to speak with Iruka-sensei for a second" I told him. "I'll meet you guys in the hall?"

He nodded, and together the two of them left the classroom. There were a few students still here, but that was fine as long as they didn't interrupt me. Iruka stood at his desk, stacking some papers into a neat pile. He looked up when I approached, surprised yet covering it with a smile. "Ah, Nao-chan. What can I do for you?"

"Well," I began, trying not to fidget. "I was wonder about what you said earlier, how most names have a meaning behind them?"

He nodded encouragingly, gesturing for me to continue so I did.

"What about a name like... Ren? Does it have any special meaning?"

"Ren?" He mused aloud, humming. He grabbed a paper, before drawing out a couple different symbols. "Well, there are a couple different ways to write it, but for a name I would assume it would be written like this. The first option meaning _lotus_ , and the second meaning _love_. It all depends on the spelling, really. Does that help answer your question?"

"Yeah, mostly." I thanked him and left. There were more questions now, and still no answers; nothing about the name stood out to me, and I had to wonder if it was just a dead end. Maybe I was simply desperate, searching for clues where there weren't any to be found. Kurama had been right though, I needed to get off my ass and find some answers; sooner or later I would get screwed over if I couldn't get a hold of the information I needed.

Together with Naruto and Sasuke, we made our way out of the school and to the front gates. I paused with the vague notion to see if my friends were around, possibly waiting for me. Neither Itachi nor Shisui were here yet, so I figured it wouldn't be a problem to look while the three of us were waiting. It took an embarrassingly long moment for the alarm bells to go off in my head.

Itachi and Shisui were not here, and they were _always_ here when school ended.

Where were my guards?

I spine stiffened, hands going out to grip Naruto and Sasuke's arms tightly as I searched for my guards. Both boys looked at me in alarm, though I barely registered it in my wild desperation. I couldn't sense them, and I couldn't see them. I looked to the boys, unable to choke out the words _something's wrong, we should run_. Sasuke opened his mouth to speak when something unexpected happened.

Minato appeared out of thin air, two feet from us.

I jumped in surprise, heart beating a mile a minute, and inspected him. There was a sort of grimace to his expression, but other than that Minato didn't appear to be distressed. He met my wide, unsure gaze and seemed to understand my panic.

"Hey Nao-chan." Minato said, releasing the boys from my iron grip. He set a hand on my head, petting it softly while addressing Naruto and Sasuke. "Why don't you two head off to Sasuke's place? Mikoto-san will probably have a snack waiting."

Neither boy wanted to go, clearly curious as to what was going on and why I had freaked out for a moment. Minato was the Hokage though, and so as he shooed them off the boys unhappily listened. When they were gone, he looked down to me and sighed. "What's with that look? Don't tell me the great Nao-chan is scared?"

He was baiting me, but I took it anyway, anything to help calm down.

"Great? I'm better than great. Nao the Magnificent, the Brilliant and Marvelous Nao, the Breathtaking, Majestic Uzumaki Nao. How dare you think so little of me."

"My deepest apologies." Minato bowed, amusement glittering in his gaze. "Shall we go then, your majesty?"

"If we must." I replied regally, taking his outstretched hand. "Where to, then?"

He picked me up so that I was in his arms, and with a devilish grin that I did not like one bit, Minato said. "I do believe we have a date with the children from Root."

And then, before I could protest, he flashed us away.

* * *

A/N

Okay, so you guys asked a lot of questions and I'm going to answer the most popular ones below

Why is the Namikaze manor so big? I feel like that sort of thing isn't really Minato and Kushina, you know? It just feels OOC

Right, I get where you guys are coming from with this, but there's something I feel that many people when writing fics with a full Namikaze family forget to think about.

Namikaze Minato is the Hokage, the highest title in any hidden village. There are certain expectations of him because of the title he holds. The President of the United States lives in the White House, The Queen of England lives in the Buckingham Palace, The Emperor of Japan lives in the Imperial Palace, The French Prime Minister lives in the Hôtel Matignon, etc.

Point is, important people don't live in small houses or apartments. They aren't living in the actual Hokage residence because I like to think that Kushina wouldn't want to live in a temporary home. She'd want her own place for Naruto to grow up in, where he'd always have his childhood memories. Grand people live in grand homes, and despite how large their home is, they still managed to make it comfortable.

Is Nao's eating disorder ever going to be directly dealt with or addressed?

Yes, we're getting there. The thing is, Nao doesn't actually understand that she has an eating disorder. It isn't that she never eats, just that she doesn't really have an appetite and its really not healthy for her. If you don't eat, you don't have as much energy; Nao gets tired easily, and struggles to keep up physically with the rest of her class.

The eating disorder is something of a side effect of her reincarnation, something she brought over from her last life. When bad things happen, some people get PTSD, others get a drinking or drug addiction. For Nao, her past trauma comes in the form of her eating disorder.

Why is Nao so eager to leave Konoha? Like, at this point with all the people she has you would think she'd want to stay.

If she stayed though, then what?

Would she live the rest of her life following orders she didn't agree with, fighting wars she didn't care for and hurting people that never technically did anything to her? Soldiers don't get to say no when they disagree, and they don't get to opt out either; Konoha is a military village, and insubordination isn't something they can allow to go unchecked. Nao doesn't want to fight, she's had enough of war and being a Jinchuriki means she is a potential weapon, as all shinobi are.

Only in her case, she's the most sought after.

Who is the other Jinchuriki in the village?

Guys, come on.

You've got to keep reading if you really want to find out, I can't just spoil it for you, otherwise I wouldn't have any readers.

Are you going to do a Shikamaru POV?

Maybe, probably, yes.

Only at the right time though, when it'll be the most heart crushing.

Is Nao going to end up on team 7?

Good god, no.

That would be far too close to canon for comfort.

One final thing I'm going to tell you guys, and it's really important!

Nao is NOT a reliable narrator.

Reliable narrators really shouldn't exist. She doesn't know everything and often times if something doesn't seem plausible she will brush it off and forget all about it. There are times when it seems like key characters (Kushina, Naruto, Minato, etc.) aren't ever around, or that they don't care as much as you'd think. Like I said, Nao is unreliable and she isn't around all the time so she doesn't know what people are doing in their spare time. She also isn't a mind reader, so its totally possible for her to come to the wrong conclusions about a person's actions or behavior, and it isn't always going to be obvious.

We only know what Nao thinks she knows, and we only see from her perspective. (mostly..)

If she thinks that Itachi is secretly a cross dresser and is into unicorns then who are we to doubt her?

We all get some things wrong, once in a while. Perspective isn't perfect.

Anyway

Thoughts? Questions?

Please Review!


	18. Chapter 18

A/N

So apparently I've been out of the loop this whole time and there's another really good fanfiction website called AO3, and see now I'm intrigued because I have scoured this website for fanfics to read and I kid you not, I am all out. There is literally no more for me to find I've given up all hope I don't even really look anymore guys and that's just sad.

But like… I can't bring myself to check out AO3. I don't even know I feel like a cheating wife just thinking about it, it's my entire life how could I ever leave it for another?

So here I am, sad, alone, waiting for my own authors to update while I myself beat my imagination with a stick until the words begin to flow. And there in the far off distance is AO3, so much possibility, so much potential…

I'll stay strong though, is my true love.

Disclaimer: I'm sad, and I only own Nao… and Ren… and Kichi.

* * *

This world in which I resided was a treacherous one.

I had already accepted the prevalence of deception, violence, and hatred here; I understood that suffering and death were little more than everyday occurrences. This world was filled to the brim with peril, and in turn I had learned to use caution regularly, because you never knew when things were about to go to hell in a handbasket. That was why when Minato teleported us to a creepy, narrow hall, it wasn't difficult to imagine my reaction.

I was rightfully distrustful of it.

To be fair, one would have to see it for themself to truly understand my reasoning. The corridor we traveled along was windowless, and the walls themselves were bare; no signs for directions to be found at any intersection we passed through, and if that wasn't enough to raise anyone's alarms, there were the doors to consider. Every single one we came across was identical to the last, made of some industrial grade steel and closed shut with no number or lettering to indicate its use. To top it all off, that wasn't even the worst part and the further in we went the more my suspicions grew.

It appeared we were walking through a maze.

The layout was senseless to me, similar to the academy and the tunnels in the mountain with their odd designs. I had a pretty decent knowledge of the village, but right now I could honestly say I didn't have a clue as to where we were and the more I pondered on that thought, the more I began to suspect that was the point of it all. Before today, I couldn't recall a time where I had seen Minato use the hiraishin for everyday use. The thing about Minato was that he _liked_ walking; he enjoyed going around the village and speaking with the villagers face to face.

This was a guy that wanted to hear about their families and how well business was going for them. Perhaps I was simply paranoid, but then that would be a nice, clean explanation and prior experience had taught me not to believe or trust in such things; I'd come to expect the worst out of most situations, it made planning and preparing for them much easier. As far as I could tell, Minato had used those seals of his on purpose, meaning if I ever wanted to find this place again it would be nearly impossible. However, if this was the case than did that mean he had ill intentions?

Strangely enough, I couldn't bring myself to think so.

It was likely some kind of poor decision making on my part, or a failure of my natural instincts, but for some reason I didn't feel as though I had anything to fear from him; not today, at the very least. I didn't like the feeling it gave me, because I knew that at the end of things no matter how kind or sincere he was, Minato had a duty to his village first and foremost. I shoved the lingering emotions away and focused on the matter at hand. Wherever we were, it was built like a maze, difficult to navigate and I imagined one would have to walk these halls a hundred times in order to have any sense of where they were going.

This was the kind of set up used to guarantee that any foreign shinobi, or really anyone that managed to get in here, who did not belong here, would have a hell of a time finding an exit or whatever it was they were looking for. Minato had obviously taken careful steps to ensure I wouldn't know how to get back here, or even where exactly _here_ was, and I had to admit it was a smart move on his part; after all, I had a bad habit of sticking my nose in business that didn't necessarily concern me.

Of course, none of this would be enough to stop me.

Anything Minato felt the need to keep from me was _undoubtedly_ something I wanted to get my hands on. Judging by the windowless state of this floor, it was safe to assume we were under ground; well, either that or this was all a really intricate genjutsu, but there were a few problems with that theory and since I didn't have any experience with genjutsu I wasn't going to linger on it. In all likelihood, we were underground somewhere, though that wasn't very helpful considering the obscene amount of uses a militaristic village could have for an underground hideout.

Safety bunkers, research facilities, prisons, intelligence centers- oh.

My gaze settled on Minato, scrutinizing his easygoing gait as he strolled down the hall and the debonair demeanor that followed him; there was no hesitation in him, meaning this place was familiar, a walk made dozens upon dozens of times. We hardly ever came across other people within the hall, and the ones we did would only pause briefly to give their Hokage a respectful bow before continuing on their way. No one flat out stopped to make conversation or anything of the sort, and neither did they seem surprised to find Minato here.

I liked to think I had a decent grasp on the human condition, and I knew that when someone like Minato, The Big Boss, made an appearance in your division, it was a big deal. Half of the people run around like a chicken missing its head and the other half are on high alert, attempting to appear in tip top form. Not a single person here seemed surprised to bump into him, so that meant his presence was more than expected.

It was a common occurrence.

Unease filled me as I considered the possibility of where we were. I couldn't flat out demand he tell me, I had to be delicate about this if I didn't want to give him any ideas about my own inclinations. I'd been staring at him for longer than what was socially acceptable now, and Minato, having sensed this, turned to meet my gaze with a raised brow. I cleared my throat, opting to begin with a different line of questioning.

"So, where exactly did my trusted guards run off to?" I crossed my arms. "Slacking on the job cannot be tolerated you know; I think they just might have to be demoted."

Amusement flickered in his eyes before Minato glanced away and his expression tightened a miniscule amount. It would have been easy to miss had I not been looking for it, and yet I faltered because it hadn't been the reaction I was expecting. He looked almost unhappy, his lips pressed together as he exhaled and glanced back my way. Then, like magic the easy going atmosphere was back as he gave me a sympathetic half-smile and said. "There was a last minute mission that came up, and they had to be sent out. No worries though, I have someone else watching over you in the meantime, just until they return."

"This new guy better be up to the task, I'll have you know I'm a delicate girl."

"I'm well aware." He hummed.

We fell into silence after that, each lost in our own thoughts.

From Minato's expression, I had to guess that he hadn't really wanted to send the two of them out and it wasn't difficult to understand why; ANBU business was not kind, especially for shinobi as young as Itachi and Shisui. Their absence meant I wouldn't be learning anything for a while, though it went without saying that Itachi expected me to continue the homework he'd given me until they returned. It was… mildly discomforting, the knowledge that they weren't going to be around for the foreseeable future; I had faith in their abilities, and frankly I preferred an ANBU I knew over one I didn't.

Strangers were never ideal.

Besides, the Uchiha boys made for decent company, and best of all they were far more predictable. They were loyal to their clan, yes, but their true loyalties lay with the Hokage, who just so happened to be my guardian. With Danzo (hopefully) out of the picture, I had far less to worry about with them, and while I couldn't be one hundred percent sure of their motives, I knew that those two were my best option for protection. I made a small, silent prayer that they didn't die on their mission; I really didn't want to go through the trouble of finding another teacher, let alone one as excellent as Uchiha Itachi.

"So, a last minute mission." I eyed Minato curiously. "What kind of mission would that be?"

"The kind you don't have clearance for."

Figures.

"Do I have clearance to know where we are?" I asked sarcastically. "Or am I too lowly even for that?"

"We're in one of the villages facilities." Minato said. "It's the division for intelligence gathering, though it deals in more than one specialization."

Intelligence gathering, which meant information. How funny, because I'd thought we were going to see some kiddies, only we were in the same place as Torture & Interrogation; perhaps he had to run an errand first. I kept my expression perfectly blank, wanting to give him the benefit of the doubt. "Okay, but why are we here then?"

He looked at me funny. "We're here so you can meet the children from Root; didn't I already tell you that?"

"Minato…" I began through gritted teeth, having come to a conclusion I really hadn't wanted to. "Are you telling me, that all this time you've been keeping a bunch of little kids down here? In this creepy place?"

"Well, yes." He said it like it was the obvious choice.

I was going to murder him.

Images of frightened children huddled together in cold dark rooms began to appear in my mind without my consent; kids being poked and prodded and then thrown into one of those interrogation rooms with the single light like the one I'd been in at Root headquarters. Only instead of Danzo in the opposite chair its Ibiki, with his steel eyes and no nonsense expression.

Christ, as if those children hadn't experienced enough trauma already.

Minato, the sneaky bastard, knew exactly where my thoughts were headed, and he seemed to find it funny. He rolled his eyes in amusement, fighting back a grin as he said. "Whatever you're thinking, Nao-chan, you're probably wrong. Those children have been just fine here, even getting special treatment."

Images of manacles hanging from the ceiling overcame me.

"What kind of creepy dungeon chamber have you locked them in?" My tone was full of accusation. It was _Torture and Interrogation_ though, what else was I supposed to expect? God help these people if I found those kids in anything less than perfect condition; Danzo was a piece of shit, but he took care of his own, and he'd want his weapons in the heathiest state he could manage.

I was also a shitty person, but even I knew that little kids were off limits.

Realistically speaking, there wouldn't be much I could do if they'd been harmed down here. Like I had said, I was a shitty person, and I wouldn't put myself at great risk for any of these children, but that didn't mean I'd let it go either. I was patient, and I could hold a grudge; if Konoha had hurt them, I'd burn those responsible alive.

But only when I was no longer under their grasp.

Minato chuckled at me, before turning down yet another hall and coming to a stop at one of the unmarked doors. The urge to kick him for laughing at me was strong, but I managed to resist as he set his hand on the door handle.

"Why don't you see for yourself?" He said, and opened the door.

* * *

Twelve curious faces swiveled to meet my gaze as I peered through the open door.

There were no chains on the walls, no dried blood or bars to be found. The room was large, maybe three times the size of an academy classroom and well lit; instead of cool stone, the floor is covered in a fluffy beige carpet similar my own. The walls were cream colored, decorated with paintings here and there as though to make up for the lack of windows. The entire room was made up of warm tones, a stark contrast from the outside hall. My chance to further examine the place was lost as Minato shuffled me un and closed the door behind us.

"Good afternoon!" He smiled, patting heads of the few children that paused what they were doing to huddle around him. I shifted under their watchful gazes, halfway hidden behind Minato until he set a hand to my back and herded me forward. Under the weight of their combined stares, Minato introduced me. "Everyone, this is Nao-chan. She's going to be coming with me for our visits from now on, so be sure to welcome her, okay?"

The kids nodded and eyed me for a minute or two, but eventually they returned to their activities as usual. It was as I took in the room a second time that I caught sight of two shinobi, a man and a woman, hanging about. The man sat at a desk in the corner, writing something down while his partner began to approach us. Her expression was neutral as she glanced at me, but there was something in her gaze that left me on edge. Clearly these two had been assigned the duty of babysitting the Root children, though neither appeared to be the type of person suited to spending so much time with kids.

I met the Kunoichi's gaze head on, unable to help myself; there was something… unfriendly, about the look she had given me and it only served to annoy me.

"Hey," Minato bent down so that we were almost level with one another, and rested the palm of his hand on my head. "why don't you go meet some of the kids, make a friend or two."

I must have given him a look, because he laughed and added, "You're the one that wanted to come right? Got to stick to what you say, Nao-chan."

"Yeah, fine." I swatted at his hand and wandered further into the room, away from the Kunoichi. I _had_ demanded to meet them, but it had been more with the intention to just check up on them, not socialize. Children were normally tiresome enough on their own, and these kids had double the trauma so I honestly didn't know what to expect. I spent a while observing them in an attempt to get a feel for what exactly I was walking into; they were quiet ones, far more hushed than any child I had ever hadthe misfortune of meeting.

Against the back wall there was an open, yet untouched chest of toys that none of them seemed interested in. A couple of child-sized table were strewn about the room, and a few were even being used. At one of the occupied tables there was a plastic tea set, and the two girls sitting there ignored it rather than attempting to play with the set.

At another table four boys appeared to be working on their own projects, chatting among one another on occasion and on the floor the rest of the children seemed to have grouped together. I wasn't sure where exactly I wanted to be, none of my options seemed ideal and I had no idea how any of them would react to an outsider. I resigned myself to the game of trial and error when I spotted someone at the far end of the room.

The perfect target.

She was a little girl, about my age with long white blonde hair sitting alone at one of the miniature tables, staring down at a blank sheet of paper and the crayons sitting beside it. She didn't look angry, excitable, or anything really; in fact, she looked like the kind of kid that wasn't going to cause me much trouble and that was what sealed it for me. I walked over to her table and sat in the chair opposite of her, grabbing another sheet of paper as she looked up. I paused in surprise when our gazes collided and I was given my first look at the wine-red of her irises.

For a moment we stared at one another.

"I'm Nao." I said when the silence became too much. "What's your name?"

"…Kichi." When she finally answered, her voice was soft, yet neutral. It was without any real inflection and it vaguely troubled me though I was careful not to show it. I nodded, before turning my attention to the paper. I picked out a crayon, brown, and began drawing. After a minute or two Kichi decided on her own crayon and started as well. We were silent as we worked, and I found myself reveling in the cover of my young age; I wasn't a very good artist, and no one was going to judge the work of a six year old.

It was a comfortable silence between the two of us, a rare moment of peace that would no doubt leave a bitter taste in my mouth when it was gone. My life was filled with so much scheming and plotting and careful measures; peaceful moments were such a commodity these days. I reveled in it while I could, changing crayons and zoning out everything but the paper in front of me. Kichi didn't ask any questions, or watch me strangely and it was a refreshing change from students at the academy.

It was an appreciative moment for me.

When I was done, the once blank paper before me had turned into a cherry blossom tree in full bloom. It wasn't a work of art by any means, but it was pretty enough. Kichi set down her crayon and curiosity got the better of me as I looked over at her paper. A chill ran up my spine when I made sense of the dark colors. She'd drawn a dead bird, bloodied and on the floor surrounded by blank eyes. Kichi glanced at my drawing before meeting my eyes, expression and gaze completely passive; it hadn't occurred to her that there was something wrong with her drawing.

That tugged at my heartstrings.

"Here," I slid my drawing across the table. "for you."

I hadn't intended to give it to her or anyone really, but after seeing what she'd drawn, I couldn't help but think that maybe she would benefit from something more… happy. Kichi observed the cherry blossom closely, and then she turned her gaze and observed me even more. Then, to my surprise she slid her own drawing over. I cleared my throat and asked for clarification, "you're giving this to me?"

"Yes."

Well alright then.

I studied the picture before rolling it up and thanking her.

Maybe I'd show it to Inoichi next time I saw him; it'd probably elicit an amusing reaction from him.

Across the room, Minato was sitting cross legged on the floor, listening as a few of the children told him about their day. None of them ever seemed to grow as animated as Naruto, but they appeared pleased to have his attention nonetheless. I couldn't help but think how typical it was of Minato, able to earn even the love of those taught to think less of him. There was a part of me that grew cold each time I acknowledged the peculiarity of these children and what had made them this way. It was an iced resentment that was only partially soothed knowing that the people responsible were dead.

I told myself there was still hope for them, that there would be brighter days.

I got up from the table, wanting to move closer to the other children so I could hear what they had to say, when something odd happened. Kichi, picture in hand, got up and followed me as I walked away from the table. I paused momentarily, before continuing on; if she wanted to follow there wasn't anything I would do about it. Minato's gaze flashed over to us for less than a second as we approached, taking in me and my new shadow. Then he was back to focusing on the other kids, and for reasons unknown I found myself slightly irritated.

The urge to kick him was back as we sat down among the growing crowd, only to fade away to the prickling sensation at the nape of my neck; it was that feeling of being watched, one I knew quite well. I turned my head, looking for the source and it took only a second to find the culprit; there, sitting three kids away a boy scrutinized me. Apparently, he didn't have to good grace to look away after having been caught, and that was how I accidentally found myself trapped in a stare off.

As I looked at him I couldn't help but think that he was… vaguely, faintly familiar, in a way that didn't immediately click. Even more alarming was the way he looked back at me, with no hesitation as though I, too, was someone he recognized. I broke eye contact with him, and then before I could decide whether retreating was an option he was on his feet and sitting down beside me. If he was actively trying to alarm me, he was doing a splendid job. The boy leaned in a bit, eyes locked on mine, and said something truly unsettling,

"I know you."

He hadn't been loud, but somehow those three words were enough to catch a couple of the other children's attention as they turned and focused in on the two of us. The boy watched me carefully, taking in every detail he possibly could as I fumbled for words.

"I… what?"

"I know you." He said it with such conviction, I nearly believed him. "I remember you from before, a long time ago when you were smaller."

I was stuck on the word Before for a second, but then the sentence registered and I found myself even more confused. "I'm sorry, but I don't understand what you're talking about."

"At the orphanage." The boy paused, considering something before adding, "Years ago, when you were still a baby and lived at the orphanage outside of Konoha. I was there too."

I scrutinized the boy, unable to comprehend how, if he was telling the truth, something like that would stay with him after all this time. He might have been lying, but I _had_ lived in an orphanage in fire country before being sent to Konoha. That had been over three years back though, and even _I_ barely recalled what my time there had been like. Minato, apparently listening in like the nosy man he was, appeared to have a similar line of thought because he inquired. "Shin-kun, you aren't that much older than Nao. Are you sure it's her?"

"I'm sure," Shin replied. "I remember because the adults talked about her a lot. They thought she was strange."

Ouch.

He turned to me and added, "I remember you never cried, and you didn't like the other babies, and you were a late talker. Plus, your hair was really bright, I thought it had to be you."

I struggled to come up with a coherent response as a few things hit me at once. Shin was a familiar name, he'd been Sai's brother of sorts if I recalled correctly. The fact that we had lived in the same orphanage meant that in a way he had been my first exposure to this world, but not only that, it meant that a man like Danzo had been for more closer and more relevant to me than I was comfortable with. Still, it was strange for me to think that there was someone out there that remembered me from before my time in Konoha; odd to think my existence had meant something to anyone so early in this life.

"You're right," I confirmed, not seeing the point in denying anything. "I did use to live outside of Konoha, I don't really remember it much though."

I didn't remember him, either.

He nodded seriously, as though this revelation was of the utmost importance to him. I sent Minato a pleading look, wanting to drop the subject, and he kindly retook the children's attention. I tuned in and out as they continued to chat, wanting to listen but getting caught in my own thoughts when something they said or did stood out to me. As the day wore on, I noticed another little boy with dark hair scooting closer to us little by little; he received a cheerful smile from Shin once finally making it over to us, and I realized he was Sai.

As I scanned all the children in the room, it came to my attention that despite grouping together, there was a clear pattern of duos to be seen. Like Shin and Sai, a lot of the kids had one person they sat just the tiniest bit closer to. There was a twisted irony to it now, because had Danzo lived to keep things going the way they could've, half of the children in this room would have died and it would have been at the hands of their partners. Now they had a chance to grow up together, with an even stronger bond that would probably do more to help them in the field than anything Danzo'd had planned.

It was only as we were wrapping things up and about to leave that my mind wandered to Kichi, who'd been sitting all one her own earlier in the day. That was a bit odd now that I thought about it, but maybe she hadn't been too close with her partner or they hadn't been together long. She had tagged along as I'd gotten up and made my way over to the door, and with Minato across the room saying his goodbyes I had an opportunity too good to pass up.

"Kichi, can I ask you a question?" She nodded, her full attention on me and I paused, shifting on my feet. Kichi seemed like a nice girl, but I knew nothing about her and there was no telling which subjects were taboo to her yet. Hopefully, I wouldn't be crossing the line, but I had to ask. "Who was your… friend, here? Who did you stay with and do things with before coming here?"

"No one." She said.

My brows furrowed at her answer. "You.. were by yourself?"

"Yes," Kichi hummed. "all alone."

"Oh." I wasn't sure what to say to that, because it had implications I wasn't ready to think about. I didn't want to leave it there either though, but before I had the chance to say more Minato appeared.

"Ready to go?" He asked me.

I nodded in reply, thoughts swirling over what I'd just learned. Minato said farewell to Kichi, opened the door and stepped into the hall, but before I could follow him she grabbed ahold of my shirt and I turned back to her.

"Come again soon." She requested.

I promised her I would as she let go, allowing me to enter the hallway. I glanced back as the door closed shut between us, getting one last look at those wine color eyes. For a moment, I wondered if I saw a hint of sadness in them, but it had been too quick so I wasn't sure.

We left the same way we had come, by way of the Hiraishin.

I made note of it in the back of my mind, but the acknowledgement was more or less lost as I kept going back to the newly acquired information from my visit with the Root twelve. I was quiet as we returned to the manor and sat down for dinner, zoning out on the conversation in order to work out what was bothering me.

Kichi had been alone in Root.

She had been alone and yet for some reason there were _twelve_ children, a perfectly even number for matched sets. I knew Danzo's game, the purpose of the duos; he had the right number of kids to pair Kichi up, so why hadn't he? Was there something more insidious to one of the other children? Did he only recently acquire the proper number and simply had yet to pair them? Were one of the Root twelve not who they say they were?

Something was not right here.

I had to go back, spend more time with them and find out what I could. It was entirely possible that there was nothing sinister to this, but whether or not that was the case didn't matter. My biggest asset, my greatest advantage here was the information I had; knowledge was more or less the foundation of my continued survival in this world, it was what I built my hopes, dreams, and plans upon so I couldn't stand the idea of not knowing. Kurama had been right that they had the potential to be extremely dangerous, so I needed to settle in for the long game and start earning their trust.

Know thy enemy and all that.

My resolve was the only thing that kept me going through dinner and then my nightly routine. When I finally went to sleep, I dreamed about dead birds and withering cherry blossom trees.

* * *

I'd said it before, and now I was going to say it again.

I was an early riser.

On any given morning I was up with the sun and going about my spiritual training before half of the village was even awake. Sleeping in was not something I did often or on purpose, and when it did happen I had come to expect some sort of disaster to follow. Today was not one of those days though; I woke up at the right time, did my morning exercises, and got dressed for the day. The only reason I had for bringing this up was because there happened to be one thing missing from the equation this morning, and by thing I meant my slave driving mentor, Kushina.

She'd been in the house, going about her own day and that was perfectly fine; I wasn't going to complain if it meant I could take it easy, but it had been unexpected and I had to say that I wasn't particularly fond of the unexpected. That said, I still went about my morning as usual, meditating and getting ready for another cruel day of testing at the academy. It wasn't until I entered the kitchen that I fully realized something was off. At the table Kushina sat calmly, gaze meeting my own and as we stared at one another I mentally retraced my morning, tallying up everything off about it.

Not once had I heard the racket of Naruto, and in fact the house appeared to be absent of the usual noise and bustle that accompanied mornings here. The kitchen was empty save for Kushina and myself; Minato was gone, no one had come for breakfast, and Kushina hadn't cooked. She hadn't bother to wake Naruto up, and I had been awake for two hours now, so in the last two hours nothing had changed. That meant whatever was wrong, it had happened sometime in the night.

"School's canceled today." She informed me.

Blankly, I replied, "But we have physical exams."

"Well, I suppose you're getting another vacation then." Kushina leaned back in her chair, voice thoughtful. "Students really should be given longer breaks in between physical exams, if you think about it. More time to prepare themselves for the next test while recovering from the last."

I didn't know how to reply to that, so instead I went to my next train of thought.

"You let me get up, do all those exercises and get ready for school, know that I wouldn't have to go today?"

"Yes."

"You're cruel, you know that?"

"Oh, please." She snorted. "you wouldn't have gone back to bed either way, and besides, the point of morning exercise is to do it _every morning_ ; no skipping out."

Well, she wasn't wrong.

That didn't mean I had to like it though. I shifted my feet to lean against the doorway and crossed my arms. "Why is school canceled?"

"A very good question." Kushina hummed. "Why, indeed…"

Silence descended upon the two of us.

"…You aren't going to tell me, are you?"

A bright smile graced her expression, and I gave a long suffering sigh, dropping the subject. At least she had the decency to not give me whatever bullshit excuse other children were no doubt hearing as an explanation. There was probably a hush order going around, so she couldn't spill; that was okay though, Kushina wasn't exactly my only source of information. My mind was racing, thinking through past knowledge that might leave me with any sort of clue and picking through people I had the best chance of getting an answer out of. Kushina jumped up as I began to turn away and said. "Wait! I'll make you something before you go. What are you in the mood for?"

"I'm not really hungry." My brain was focused on other things, I didn't have time to sit and eat when there was clearly something going on. "But thanks anyway."

She mumbled something, but it was lost to me as I strolled away from the kitchen and to the front door. I needed some answers here, but before I went hunting around the village for victims I wanted to get some perspective. Unfortunately for one family, I wasn't feeling patient enough to wait for said perspective to come to me. Twenty minutes later I was pounding on the front door of my favorite Nara, and I was doing it with a vengeance. After five minutes my hand was beginning to cramp, but I prevailed and eventually the door swung open, revealing an irritated Shikamaru.

"What. Is. Your. Problem." He said through gritted teeth, glowering at me.

"What the heck are you doing asleep at such a critical moment?" I glared right back. "Get dressed, we have things to do."

"It's seven thirty." Shika groaned. "Come back later, way later."

"Can't do, there's something fiendish and possibly diabolical afoot. Now go get ready."

"No."

The two of us held gazes, sizing up one another. He obviously didn't feel up to any shenanigans at the moment, and normally I would respect that but today was no ordinary day. A sharp smile graced my expression, and Shikamaru narrowed his eyes, appropriately wary. With a sugary tone, I began. "Have it your way, Shika. I mean, if you aren't going to come with me then there nothing I can do about it." pause for dramatic affect. "But then, what your mother will say when she hears how you turned your dear friend away?"

"…Why _are_ we friends again?"

"Everyone else is an idiot."

"And you're nosy, which is almost worse."

"Don't make me come in there."

He grumbled and moaned, but eventually Shika was dressed and we were out the door once more. On the way to our usual meet up spot Shikamaru told me what he knew; his father had been called in to work in the middle of the night, and after his mother had told him school was canceled for the day she had left as well which meant all hand were on deck. Basically, neither of us actually knew what was going on but together we had a good chance of figuring it out.

"What warrant's a canceled school day?" I wondered.

"Nothing good." Shika muttered. "I mean, if no one is saying anything then it has to be something major, otherwise why keep it a secret?"

"Because…" I rubbed at a temple, thinking it over. "because they don't want to cause a panic?"

"It's possible." He shrugged carelessly.

I was agitated, and his unconcerned attitude only served to further annoy me. The whole situation was driving me up the wall; between the attacks, bombings, and kidnapping it seemed as though someone had a serious vendetta against Konoha, but it just didn't line up right with anyone I knew. The first attack had targeted civilians instead of shinobi, and during that attack _only_ Sasuke and I had been kidnapped; that act alone hadn't been preplanned, either, it'd been spur of the moment.

Then there was the second one, which had been more bombing and fighting, but resulted in zero kidnapping attempts; I still didn't understand what had been gained during that assault. People had died, yes, but it hadn't been any worse a loss than the last one. Only the third invasion appeared to have anything remotely resembling a plan or endgame; create chaos in the village and steal Kurama. The idea could have been better executed, but to a degree I suppose it had worked. Finally, there was the Danzo affair to consider; I wasn't entirely sure it could even be counted as a direct attack on Konoha, but Ren's involvement connected it to the others.

There were so many loose ends though, so many things that didn't make any sense and I was having a difficult time seeing what angle the enemy was trying to work; the attacks seemed random and for the life of me I couldn't figure out how they were helping the enemy. They had lost more shinobi than us every time, and the casualties were more often than not civilians so if the aim was to hurt the fighting population they were failing spectacularly. Why the sudden kidnapping? Why the murderous maid?

The academy closing was connected to this somehow, another puzzle piece to add to the growing pile. A headache began to form as I agonized over everything; I was slipping, too close to a breaking point for my own liking but there wasn't anything I could do to stop it.

It made no fucking sense.

"You're stressed." Shikamaru stated.

"How are you so calm about this?" I snapped. "Doesn't it bother you? None of it makes any kind of sense! Attacking civilians, bombing the village, losing more shinobi lives than you take, and then just retreating? It's pointless, there's nothing to gain so _why do they keep coming back_? With no obvious goal?"

Ren wasn't on Konoha's side, but by killing Danzo he had helped us even if he didn't know it. You had to have serious brains and skill to take down a man like Danzo, so what did someone like Ren have to do with these halfhearted, ass backwards attacks? He couldn't have been around for the first two attacks, we would have taken far more damage if he had so it was really only the last invasion that he had been a part of. Ren had a chance to take me or kill me in Root, but he hadn't done so; late to the party, and disloyal to the team.

"Maybe you're too close to see the goal." Shika said after a moment.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean when you add everything up, it _doesn't_ make sense. Logically, their plan of attack has been feeble, using tactics that would never work to beat us; so maybe they aren't looking to. Look at the facts individually. No real blows to our fighting ranks, no major places actually targeted; not the hokage tower, police stations, clan compounds, or schools. Not a single one of them were ever directly targeted."

He was right.

Yes, the Orphanage had been hit, but none of those children had had families so it hadn't been anything more than a tragic yet distant loss to the villagers. Before I'd thought it was strange, to hit an orphanage rather than a school full of loved children, and now it was beginning to come together. When the incidents were isolated, they began to make more sense. Ren had been part of the last invasion, but he wasn't actually with the other shinobi attacking and that was why certain things never clicked.

My first kidnapping had been spur of the moment, but the second was preplanned.

Ren had been able to take down Danzo and hold his own against a man like Minato, but during the attacks Konoha had minimal shinobi casualties and someone like him would have made waves in our numbers. If Ren didn't actively fight with them then perhaps he didn't care much about his so called comrades, perhaps it was convenience that had them working together. Someone else out there was calling the shots, sending out soldiers to kill and die but not do any serious harm yet.

Attempting to take Kurama had been Ren's doing, so it was possible that any destruction or death from that day solely rested on him . Root had been ended without the help of said army, and I had a feeling that had been a decision of his own as well. No more kidnapping important children meant that when Sasuke and I had been taken, the two responsible had done it more for their own benefit; they had wanted the sharingan, I had just been a bonus at the time. Of course it never happened again, because clan children were important and not to be targeted.

Whoever was in charge, they were being awfully careful to make sure The Village Hidden in the Leaves didn't fall quite yet. Konoha's true enemy hid in the shadows, and I couldn't seem to put an identity to their actions. Orochimaru was too pragmatic for a ploy like this, and beyond him I honestly didn't know who had the resentment and sheer manpower to pull this off. Now the academy had been dragged in, for reasons still unknown, and it didn't appear as though the game would be over any time soon. No, I had a feeling that all this chaos and its resulting fear was something the enemy thrived off of.

We were being played with.

* * *

A/N

I had a nice outline for this fic, I told myself I would tell this story in fifty chapters but it just keeps running away and doing its own thing. I honestly don't know if I can finish this in thirty two more chapters but by god I will try because it simply can't go on forever.

With that said let me put one final thing to rest.

The Namikazes love Nao, they do. They care about her, and they want her to have a good life but Nao isn't the kind of person they could ever physically _show_ their love for. She's skittish, not entirely together and sometimes, a lot of times, it's difficult to accept the love of others, especially when you don't think you deserve it, or when you only ever expect disappointment or eventual betrayal.

Can you imagine what she'd do if either of them came out and said I Love You?

Nao wouldn't be able to accept it, that's not how she works.

It's sad, yes, but to me it's part of what makes her real; everyone has a little bit of it in them, everyone's got some chips and cracks.

Anyway, rant over.

Thoughts? Questions?

Please Review!


	19. Chapter 19

A/N

Guys. Stop it. Stop following Disgrace Me. I don't have time for it yet, I won't have time for it until I finish this fic and that will probably take me about a year at the rate I'm going. I already feel guilty about it, enough so that I've got three chapters just sitting on my computer waiting to be posted for it okay? So stop it right now you hooligans. I'll get there when I have time to devote myself to it and not before.

Shame on you, and shame on me.

Shame on us all.

 _Anyway_ , since we're already on the subject, I find myself curious: what kind of fanfic would you guys be interested in reading when Expectations & Revelations ends? I have some other fics lined up to be published, and I'll leave a list at the end of this chapter and if you feel like it you guys can tell me which ones you'd like to read most.

Disclaimer: Expectations & Revelations is mine. Sadly, the Naruto-verse isn't though.

* * *

I was calm.

I was completely calm as I sat at the crowded kitchen table, taking slow, quiet breaths and focusing my stare on the opposite wall. The air was thick with tension, though Kushina did her best to laugh it off and maintain some semblance of conversation as we ate. Rin, Obito, and Minato attempted to act normal as well, copying Kushina to the best of their abilities, and it was only poor, little Naruto who seemed unable to remain oblivious to the tension permeating the kitchen. He was very still and silent, almost as if natural instinct had finally showed itself and clued the boy in as to who was predator and prey.

I say almost, because while Naruto seemed to have the good grace to sense the storm brewing before us, he didn't quite feel the proper amount of fear the situation warranted. His gaze was wary as he glanced at the lot of us; wary, but not yet panicked as he picked at the food on his plate rather than eating it.

Then again, perhaps that was for the best.

After all, it really wasn't my intention to scare him, honestly. I was making a solid effort to control myself, and it was mostly for his sake; I was beginning to understand that Naruto was delicate, and he didn't need to experience the… belligerent emotions I was trying to hold in. See, my anger wasn't the boiling hot brand that fizzled out quickly; it was ice, bitingly cold and slow but resilient. I did not forget those who wronged me, and fire was simply too quick for my tastes. I preferred the slow, agony of freezing to death. Vengeance was a dish best served cold, it was something to be savored, not done in the heat of the moment, and certainly not done in the presence of small children.

So I was doing my best to control myself given the situation.

Across the table, Kakashi appeared relaxed and uncaring, but we all knew better; he watched each of us like a hawk, gaze most often settling on me. He could probably tell I was close to a breaking point, and there was a glimmer of anticipation in his eyes, just waiting for me to make my move. What he didn't understand was that I was patient; I could wait a little while longer so long as I kept my gaze on the wall and away from the newcomer sitting at our table. There was no point in vengeance if Kakashi was going to get in my way and stop me.

And make no mistake, I would have it.

"Nao-chan," Kushina chirped, smile painfully wide. "You look like you could use more rice on your plate. Let me serve you some more." She began piling white rice on my plate, again and again until it towered over the rest of my untouched food before proceeding to top off my glass of water and shove the bottle of soy sauce my way. "Eat up!"

"…Thank you." I eyed my plate, and after a moment of Kushina's incessant stare drilling into me, I picked up my fork and took a few bites. This seemed to satisfy her, and Kushina turned her sights onto the rest of the table, dishing out absurd portions of food to the others. She turned to the newest occupant and-

I needed to focus on something else.

I thought about earlier today, with school having been canceled. I'd spent a good portion of the day with Shikamaru and Chouji, so it hadn't turned out to be a complete waste even if I was still in the dark as to the academy situation. There was time to dig further though, as apparently school would be canceled for the rest of this week. With so much free time on my hands, I wanted to go back and visit the Root children for a longer period of time tomorrow. Perhaps I'd bring some things for Kichi, a couple of my ribbons or something. I could go shop and buy her something new too, though I wasn't sure what she'd like most. Maybe some sweets? Flowers?

What did traumatically scarred children like again?

I'd have to check with Minato, get his opinion on the matter.

Kakashi shifted, catching my attention and I accidentally flicked my gaze to him, and then the person he was talking to. My grip on the fork tightened as our eyes met, and I clenched my jaw to keep from barring teeth. Kinoe watched me as though I was a ticking time bomb, and to be in his presence I sort of was. This man… This was the person responsible for almost making sure Kakashi never came home. Kinoe had broken his leg, had left him to die; no, he never swung the final blow, but he hadn't needed to.

Kakashi could have very easily died out there without him having to expend the effort.

Because of him, Kakashi nearly didn't return to me.

My hands began to tremble.

Kinoe was here, eating at our dinner table like everything had been forgiven and all was right. I was the only one that appeared to have a problem with him, the only one that hadn't forgiven him. Minato had _invited_ him over, and they'd arrived with the rest of his team, talking and laughing like old friends. There had to be something more to this, a part of me knew, some reason Minato had for bringing him here but it was hard to focus on that. Minato was not a stupid man, he would not bring a threat into the manor like this, not with us here so that meant he did not view Kinoe as a threat or enemy.

Logic could be a dangerous tool though, and right now it was a double edged sword.

I knew there was something going on here, something I was missing. I also knew that the man before me was dangerous, not only to myself and my future, but to Kurama as well. Kinoe was not like Itachi and Shisui, because to a certain degree they could be considered friends and I was fond of both boys. I liked them enough that despite the threat they posed to Kurama I wasn't willing to bring about their ends. Kinoe, however, was an entirely different matter; he had already caused damage to someone I cared for, and an ugly voice in my head whispered there was no way of knowing whether or not he would do it again.

Kinoe was one of the few people capable of stopping me one day, I knew; worse than an Uchiha, he had the ability to cage me in, make me a true prisoner. He had the power to stop me from one day freeing Kurama, and that was unacceptable.

He was one of my biggest threats.

I both feared him and hated him, and what a dangerous combination that was.

The more I looked at him, the angrier I became; I remembered the taste of suffering he had inflicted upon me, the desperation for Kakashi's return, the waning hope, the darkness. I could still see it, standing at the gate, the sunrise illuminating Kakashi's beaten form as he limped ever closer. He had come home, but it had taken him everything to make it back here. Kinoe was a threat, and he had caused me so much pain already. How could I ever forget that, how could I ever forgive him for nearly taking what little I had from me?

I couldn't. Not ever.

It's difficult to explain what happened next. The air went from thick to outright suffocating, and Naruto cowered into his chair. Everyone stiffened, someone gasped, others choked, and all I could think was how wonderful it would feel to end Kinoe's existence; how much more bearable the world would be with one less enemy in it. The moment lasted no more than a second, then Kakashi was barking my name and I snapped out of it. The kitchen was silent, everyone was watching me and a few had even stood up.

I was speechless.

"Nao-chan." Minato choked, alarmed gaze roaming my face. "What was that?"

I shrank under his probing, fear crawling up my spine. My throat closed up, and I remained silent, unable to find words. His voice raised a little. "How did you do that?"

I shook my head, panicked.

I didn't know, didn't fully understand what I had done wrong but his voice was louder than normal, stricter than I was used to, and that scared me. I had a bad feeling, didn't want or know how to explain myself, and more than anything I wanted to disappear.

And so once again, I slipped away from reality.

* * *

Kurama's red eyes were more alert than I had ever seen them. The shadows were larger than I remembered, and darker as well; the whispers nearly loud enough to be understood, echoing and bouncing off the walls. It did nothing to help my distressed state, and in fact for the first time I found myself genuinely afraid of this place.

"Go back." He commanded. "You cannot be here, not with the wood release user so close."

"I can't." I replied breathlessly, unable to tear my gaze of the shadows. The moment I spoke it almost seemed as if they all zeroed in on me. Something close to horror thrilled up my spine as the shadows became manic, whispers turning shrill as they creeped towards me from all sides.

"You will." Kurama boomed. "Now go."

I went.

* * *

I could feel the blood drained from my face when I resurfaced.

What the hell had I just witnessed?

The room was spinning leisurely, though I couldn't manage to focus on it for long, not with Minato in my face. His palms rested on my cheeks, eyes wide and through my haze I just managed to make out the words as he said. "Nao, can you hear me?"

I blinked, nodding slowly.

"She white as a ghost." He said, looking over my shoulder at someone. "When was the last time she ate?"

There was a pause, and with a tightening expression Minato addressed me once more. "Nao-chan, did you eat breakfast this morning?"

I thought about it.

Had I eaten breakfast? It felt like so long ago, and I had to dig for a moment to come up with the answer. Didn't we always have breakfast? Every morning, at this very table, yes; but there hadn't been school today, no food on the table when I'd entered the kitchen. "No." I told him, voice hardly more than a whisper.

His palms fell to my shoulders, and his tone turned alarmingly soft. "Why don't we put you to bed and bring you something to eat, hm?"

I said nothing, again at a loss for words.

Minato had been upset with me only moments ago, and now he was being rather nice. I was confused, out of sorts from the visit to my mindscape. He picked me up and I was cradled into his arms when I finally noticed that only he, Kushina, and Kakashi were still in the kitchen. Briefly I wondered where the others had gone to in such a short amount of time, but the train of thought was fleeting and soon it chugged away. Minato brought me to my room and tucked me into bed, before flashing back with a fresh plate of food. He sat at the edge of my bed as I ate, imploring me to take one more bite each time I stopped.

The food was tasteless as I chewed and swallowed, and it felt as though I spent hours on the process before Minato broke me from my daze. "Are you feeling better?"

I blinked, tilting my head to look at him. Was I feeling better? Briefly I thought that the answer might be yes, but then there was movement to my right and I realized that Kakashi was standing at the other end of the bed. Strange, because I didn't remember him coming in with us; had he been here the whole time?

My gaze drifted back to Minato and I nodded in answer.

He did not appear convinced, which was fair; the thing with Kinoe and then the shadows had unsettled me more than I wanted to admit.

"I want to get a gift for Kichi." I blurted out. The two of them looked at me oddly, but I must have gotten my desperation for a distraction across because the topic was dropped.

"Oh?" Minato said, indulging me. "What kind of gift then?"

My lips turned down slightly. "I'm not sure what she'd like. What do you think?"

"Well," He hummed. "Perhaps it should be something new, something that would remind her of you."

"What do you mean?" I leaned forward slightly, curiosity piqued.

"For example, if you gave her, let's say, a new set of kunai, or any to do with shinobi, it would probably make her think of less… pleasant things."

I contemplated his words, and couldn't deny that there was some truth in them. Of course, Minato probably wouldn't be happy with me if I handed over a weapon as a gift to Kichi, but that was to be expected; I knew I wouldn't want to put a kunai in the hands of a child from Root, not this soon anyway. But then, this wasn't really helpful information on what to give her. Sweets and flowers were only temporary gifts in the end, and I thought Kichi could benefit from something more permanent. "Ribbons then?"

Minato smiled. "I think she'd like that." He paused, and added, "Actually, Nao-chan, I wanted to talk to you about the Root children."

"Okay." I replied hesitantly.

"Two days from now, we're going to make a village live announcement." He began. "To reveal and welcome the Root twelve into Konoha. They'll be attending the academy in a separate class, and we already have a home set up for them."

"That's good." And it was, but I wasn't sure where he was going with this.

"It is." Minato agreed. "Now, I haven't told the council about this, but I was wondering whether you'd be up to helping me put on a bit of a show."

Now I was definitely interested. "Go on then."

"Well, hold on a second." He chuckled at my enthusiasm. "Before I go into details you should know that this will have to be between us; I have a feeling that the Elder council will not be too pleased with me going off on my own and making decisions without letting them know beforehand."

"You're the Hokage." I scoffed. "You can do whatever you want. Now quit teasing me with all this putting on a show and defying authority business and tell me what we're gonna do."

At my words both men outright laughed, and then Minato told me the plan.

And boy was I thrilled.

We went over details for a bit, and at some point Kakashi disappeared with my plate and didn't return. My eyelids were heavy, but I was not yet ready to sleep, not with so much to look forward to. This was also an opportune moment, I had Minato alone for once and he might just feel sorry enough for me to let some information slip if I pushed the right buttons. Regrettably, Minato seemed to have a similar train of thought, because he beat me to the punch. "What was all that about earlier, Nao-chan?"

"…I'm afraid you'll have to be more specific."

He sighed. "I'm talking about what happened at dinner. Do you know what it was that you did?"

"I- no." I admitted. "I don't really… know what I did." For a moment I wasn't even entirely sure that it was me that had done anything, but everyone else seemed to think so.

"You released killing intent." Minato said frankly. "Which you probably shouldn't be capable at your age. I assume that it has something to do with being a Jinchuriki though, because the development appears to be a recent one."

"Oh." Well, maybe it had been me after all. Any excuse I might have argued had vanished from mind, and I blanked, going for the truth. "You shouldn't have invited him here."

"Ah," There was a knowing tone to his voice that irked me. "I understand. You're angry that we've forgiven Kinoe, that everyone is being nice to him. Nao-chan, he's a part of this village, and he has given his full cooperation; releasing information and helping us clean up the mess that Danzo had made in the first place. Kinoe is trying very hard, he feels horrible for what he did, so don't you think he's atoned for his mistakes?"

"No."

I didn't care about his remorse, or his atonement. Kinoe had hurt me greatly, and I might have been able to get past that has he not betrayed Kakashi; I acknowledged that he too was a victim in this, that he had also suffered at the hands of Danzo, but somehow it just wasn't enough. That was cruel and wretched of me, but it was the way I felt and I would not deny it. Maybe if it had been one single issue with Kinoe, maybe then I could simply let go of this toxic anger and get on with my life, but that just wasn't the case.

Not only had Kinoe harmed someone I loved, but his mere existence was a threat to my freedom. I was confident I could take on an Uchiha, because the only ones that Minato could realistically send after me were all people I had bonded with. Itachi, Shisui, and Sasuke knew me personally, and I was positive that when the time came they would give me the opening I needed to win against any of them. There was always a chance he might send Obito, but I was working on a way around that. The Uchiha clan was no more a threat to me than any other clan at this point, but Kinoe?

I didn't know the likelihood of victory against him, and he was a bad match for me; all Minato needed to do was pair him up with an Uchiha and that would be it for me. I couldn't take on a wood style user _and_ the sharingan in a single battle, even I knew my limits. Kinoe could never be trusted, and I didn't have faith in my ability to manipulate him, so despite what Minato might think, things like forgiveness and atonement were ultimately moot point.

Sooner or later, he would have to go.

Minato pressed his lips together. "I know that it's difficult for you to understand, but Kinoe and Kakashi have gotten over their differences. Kinoe is special to him now, and it would make Kakashi unhappy if any harm came to him." Fucking hell, how did he always know? Minato continued. "Not to mention, Nao-chan, Kinoe is an asset to the village. Having him around the next time we're attacked makes us that much safer."

That was interesting; he was under the impression that we were still going to be attacked once more. I mean, _I_ knew we would, and so did _he_ , but I hadn't expected him to say it out loud. Minato… had a point though; Kinoe would be an adequate shield when the next attack came. He wouldn't have been around during the last fights, his fighting style was too blatant for me to have not noticed it, but if he was given free reign? Well, things looked a lot better on our end.

I burned thinking it, that to take my revenge would cost me more than I could actually afford. I was stuck, unwilling to upset Kakashi or throw away a weapon capable of protecting those I cared for, and yet unable to simply let it go. There was nothing for it though, because the more I thought on the matter the more I couldn't deny that having him around was beneficial. It meant that Shikamaru and Chouji were that much safer, and that Naruto's next traumatic experience was less likely to happen.

I did not like it, but… they might need him for now. I wasn't strong enough to protect anyone, and frankly that was probably a good thing at the moment because if I did have that kind of strength the chances of me sticking around to use it rather than madding a bid for freedom and leaving Konoha to die were about three percent. I would allow Kinoe to live his life untouched for now, so long as it served me. The fact of the matter was, so long as this person in the shadows continued to play their games, no one was safe. Sadly, this meant that now I had yet another obstacle in the way, and another goal to add to all the rest.

This man would have to die, and when he was dead and Konoha was relatively safe?

It would be Kinoe's turn.

Because so long as he remained an active shinobi I was not safe.

* * *

I slept like the dead that night.

Minato, the slippery bastard, had distracted me for long enough that I forgot to interrogate him on the academy. He was also gone when I woke up the next morning and his evasion of me only served to harden my resolve to get to the bottom of it. The moment I entered the kitchen Kushina sat me down and stared at me balefully until I finished off a sufficient amount of food. She didn't even scold me for skipping out on my morning training, which was nice because I wasn't feeling up to it anyway.

Instead, I had far more important matters to attend to, such as shopping for a gift to give Kichi when I saw her today.

As I walked along the street toward the center of the village, I felt a bit off. I'd grown used to having someone nearby when I went about my day, and now that I was alone it felt a little less fun. Adding to the fact that Kakashi and I were still having issues and therefore did not spend time together, I was beginning to feel maybe, just a little, lonely. And what an alarming thought that was, because wasn't I going to go off alone in a couple of years anyway? When that day came, I would be on my own for the foreseeable future so it was a feeling I'd just have to get used to.

A bell chimed as I entered my usual shop and waved off the employee at the counter after greeting her. I browsed for a bit, still indecisive as to the perfect present, and found myself going through the kunoichi outfits on the racks. It was towards the end of May, and my birthday would be coming up in a few months; seven wasn't a mile stone, but it did have me wondering how long I could keep up the dresses and pigtails. At the academy I mostly wore shorts and t-shirts for practicality purposes, but soon I would have to decide on an actual style that I could wear out on missions and the like.

And then I'd have to get about a hundred of that outfit in varying sizes so that when I fled the village I still had enough versions to last me.

There were still a couple years left to go though.

I took my time getting over to the accessories, the pretty, ornate fan catching my eye once again; it was a weapon though, and I would not be giving out weapons to small children, unstable or otherwise. When I found the ribbons I went through the colors two or three times, trying to decide what would suit Kichi best. I honestly didn't know though, she likely didn't have a favorite color but even if she did I hadn't thought beforehand to ask. In the end, I grabbed a few different colors for her to choose from; light blue, pink, red, pale green, and yellow.

I went to the counter with my purchases and put it on Minato's tab once again.

Once outside, I paused to think on my next course of action. Then a thought struck me and I returned back into the shop, much to the woman's surprise, and went straight up to her. "Actually, I just remembered something I did need help with. I need a nice dress, something formal. Do you have anything like that here?"

"Of course!" She gushed, "It would be my pleasure."

I gave her a winning smile and she led me to the back where the more expensive clothing was along with the dressing room. I killed a good hour there going over dresses and listening to her recommendations; it was clear to see that the woman knew what she was doing, so after a while I gave her permission to put something together for me.

And she did marvelously.

"So, what do you think?" She said nervously. "Kimono's are old fashioned, yes, but they do symbolize higher standing; after all, everyone in the Daimyo's court dresses in a similar fashion."

The girl in front of me appeared rather familiar, in one of those surreal ways; like going to an art museum and finding a centuries old painting of what could only be described as your doppelganger. I knew the answer to the question on the tip of my tongue, but I couldn't help but ask it anyway. "What gave you the idea for this outfit?"

"Ah," The woman flushed. "I suppose I was thinking along the lines of a dress fit for a princess. And well, forgive me but your resemblance to _her_ is almost uncanny. The opportunity seemed far too good to pass up; it really is fit for someone of your social standing, if you don't mind me saying."

"What did you say your name was?"

"Yukimura Hana."

"Thank you, Hana-chan. I'd like to purchase the whole outfit please. And I'd like to commission your help tomorrow, if possible."

Minato would not be too happy when the bill reached him, but Hana had been right and he'd told me to put on a show. This was sure to turn some heads.

I tried to simmer down my smugness as I left the shop behind.

I dropped my new outfit off in my room and made one more stop before going to the hokage tower. I pranced up the stairs, ignoring the eyes on me, until I finally made it to the right floor where I then gave myself a mental pat on the back for making it all the way up without getting winded. The secretary, whose name I might have learned but didn't remember, made no move to stop me from entering Minato's office and it was a smart move on her part. I knocked twice before letting myself in, only to find that he was indeed busy, and with mission assignments.

"Your secretary let me in." I said as the occupants of the room stared at me. It was quiet, a few of them looked at me disapprovingly and I laughed awkwardly. "She probably needs to be demoted."

Though it wasn't likely she'd have been able to stop me in time anyway.

"Good morning Nao-chan." Minato's lips twitched in amusement. "What do you need?"

"Clearance to go wherever I please?"

"Denied."

It was worth a shot. "I've got Kichi's present, I was going to go see her."

"I can send someone to take you down then, just give me a moment." Minato said, and I nodded.

I turned halfway, about to leave and wait out in the hall when one of the men in the room caught my eye. He appeared to be the one receiving the mission, and at first he looked so absolutely ordinary I didn't even know why I had paused. I couldn't help but feel there was something missing as I gave him a quick second glance over, and it took me a heartbeat to see what was wrong with this picture. The moment I'd entered the room everyone had turned my way, even him, but at I turned my attention over to the other occupants in the room and then back to him, I found something rather odd.

He was looking my way, yes; but not directly at me.

It was just the littlest difference really, nothing that screamed suspicion and certainly nothing a normal person would have ever taken note of but… I wasn't ordinary. When I went out into public areas, there was always, and I mean _always_ someone watching. So, as vain as it sounded, the immediate reason this man had me pausing was the fact that he didn't look directly at me. No more than a few seconds passed in the time it took me to come to this conclusion and give the man my full focus. This time, I really looked at him, moving past the incredibly forgettable appearance and demeanor, and looking underneath.

When the realization hit me, it hit hard.

I couldn't seem to move my feet, because the man before me was someone I never expected to encounter again.

It was Hiro, the man I'd met on the day Kakashi was reported missing.

The one I had been sure was Root.

The one that had disappeared before my guards could see his face.

"Who is this?" I asked faintly.

"Tachibana Yuri." Someone said, though I was too focused on the words to say who.

Tachibana Yuri.

That was a stretch from Hiro, in fact it was vastly different. If I was going to infiltrate a village, I would be consistent about the name I used, and if I was going to approach someone from said village, I wouldn't lie about my cover name. There would be no point to it, because sooner or later it would be found out and far too easy done. It was a senseless move to make, no matter how you looked at it; senseless… just like the attacks had been.

Our gazes collided.

I made a noncommittal sound and left, slipping into the hall as the door closed behind me while stifling down the rising swirl of emotions. When he had looked at me, it'd been with intention. This man was an imposter, I was positive, but there was no way of proving it at the moment; my evidence consisted of a gut feeling and an account of an event that no one else could corroborate. My guards never saw his face, only knew that I had not been alone and even if such a flimsy truth would be enough, it didn't matter because they weren't here to verify it.

Maybe that was for the best though.

If… If I was right about him, then Hiro was my only potential link to the enemy threatening us all. My last encounter with him had been months prior, and with Root massacred I'd been sure he had gone down with them. My jaw clenched at the sheer stupidity, because as usual, I had assumed to already have enough information; once again, it never occurred to me to just fucking ask. It was the kind of mistake that could get me killed, and yet I kept assuming over and over again, because that was the price of the knowledge I possessed coming into this world.

It made me too cocky, too sure that I already had all the answers needed when in reality the shinobi world was brimming with secrets and information I hadn't a clue of. A couple months ago I'd been positive of what team Hiro was working for, and now in the present that very team was dead and here he was, boldly showing himself to me and in the Hokage's office no less. It was a move far too eerily reminiscent of our faceless adversary, and his taste in games. I didn't want to be too quick to jump to conclusions, but the more I considered it to more it was beginning to make sense.

In order to pull off this sick game, the enemy would have _needed_ someone on the inside, and it would have to be a long term position. Every bomb so far had gone off from _inside_ of the buildings, and to have so many? That wasn't simply a few weeks affair; with so little time it would be too rushed, too sloppy, with too much potential of something going wrong. What the enemy had managed to accomplish required absolute dedication and time. There was nothing half-assed or willy nilly about this, each bomb had been strategically placed, its location and timing of detonation well thought out.

Whoever had planted them would've needed to spend an obscene amount of time here, more than a handful a weeks. It wasn't just about knowing the lesser and more populated areas of the village, it was understanding the way Konoha's population fluctuated depending on things like the time of day, whether it was a weekend or weekday, the nearest holidays or conventions. It was no coincidence that we had received no major casualties or loses despite being hit with assault after assault; whoever was in charge wanted to take their sweet time with us, and to do that _someone_ had to infiltrate the ranks and devote themselves to the process.

I just couldn't kick the feeling that Hiro was exactly that person.

Why give two fake names though? Why give me the chance to realize something was off and reveal him at all, because surely anyone else would have. Then again, how many stupid, illogical things had the enemy done? It was all minds games, for the thrill of chaos, or at least as far as I could tell. I began to wonder if this meeting had happened by chance at all, or if this too had been planned in some way. The way he had looked at me was too… knowing, and I could only feel that there had been purpose to this.

I was being played with as well.

* * *

When my escort showed up, I was a bit preoccupied with my own thoughts.

Someone wanted me to agonize over this, wanted me to pick it apart and drive myself crazy over details while deciding on my next course of action. The problem was that this person had no idea who they were dealing with, and I would not be so easily manipulated. I let Hiro drain from my mind, content to leave it behind for now simply to spite the enemy. I turned to my companion for the first time, a greeting poised on my tongue, and startled in surprise.

Yikes.

"We should get going." Ibiki grunted.

I followed him down the corridor, and just as I got the idea in my mind to pay careful attention to the way, everything tilted. I pressed a palm to the side of my face, and a moment later we were no longer in the hokage tower. We stood in front of a familiar door, in the same creepy hallway I remembered. Against my better judgement I sent Ibiki a scathing look, and he huffed in a way that suspiciously sounded like a laugh before opening the door and shoving me in. I stumbled, catching myself and swiveled around to say something rude when the door was shut in my face.

I'd get him back for that.

Unless this was his payback for the time I had stabbed him with a rusty screw driver.

Hm.

"Hello Nao." A soft voice said, and I turned. It was Kichi, with her usual neutral tone and dreamlike expression. "You returned."

I smiled warmly. "Hi Kichi. I brought you a present, shall we sit?"

The other children did not approach us as she led the way to the same table as last time, taking a seat and watching me take mine. As I glanced about the room I couldn't help but get the impression that Kichi was a bit of an outsider here; everyone else seemed to keep their distance from her. She waited patiently as I set the bags down, deciding to start with the ribbons first. As I pulled them out and laid them down, I found myself a little unsure. "These are hair ribbons; I wear them a lot and I suppose I just thought you might like some so I got a couple different colors, I wasn't sure which you would like best."

She glanced carefully at me and then at the ribbons, going over each one. Kichi looked back to me, and we held gazes for a good minute. "It's okay if you don't like them, you don't have to take them if you don't want to. It was just something that crossed my mind, I probably should have asked first." I didn't know what it was about this girl but Kichi was really good at making me second guess myself.

I was just about to shove them back into the bag, throw it away and consider the entire affair a failure when Kichi looked back down to the ribbons and slowly reached out, wrapping her fingers around the red one. "This one." She said, meeting my gaze again.

"Okay," I paused. "Do you like the color red? Is that why you chose it?"

I silently prayed she didn't say anything alarming, that it reminded her of blood or something because then I really would be a failure. Minato would probably ban me from giving presents ever again.

Kichi blinked. "Red.." She murmured, tilting her head. I was beginning to question whether she even knew the name of colors, as it had never occurred to me that she might not, when Kichi said, "Like Nao."

"Like..Me?"

"Yes." She answered firmly.

Well, wasn't she just precious?

I slid the rest of the ribbons to the side, discarding them, and brought out my next gift. "This is dango," I told her, opening the plastic container. "It's sweet, like a desert or a treat. Do you like sweet things?"

Apparently she did, because five minutes later Kichi was munching on the last of the dango. There was a gleam in her eyes that had me guessing she was pleased, though admittedly it was hard to tell with Kichi. She really was cute as a button, almost as cute as Chouji, and I resisted the urge to coo at her. When we finished with the snack, I gathered up the ribbons and asked Kichi to bring me a brush before moving away from the table and onto the floor. This brought us closer to the other children, who glanced at the two of us occasionally. Kichi returned with the brush and sat down facing me; I took the brush and addressed her. "Kichi, is it okay if I put the ribbon in your hair? Or did you want it somewhere else?"

Technically, it was for her hair, but since Kichi probably didn't get to make many choices of her own, I thought I'd let her decide. When she nodded, I motioned for her to turn around and she complied.

I ran the brush through her hair a couple times, making sure it was free of tangles, and she leaned ever so slightly into my touch. I set the brush down and ran my fingers through her white blonde locks, taking a moment to decide how I wanted to do this; I gathered the hair framing either side of her face, and after a moment of recalling the way it was done, I began twisting both parts back until they met in the middle and then braided them together. I put an elastic on the end to insure it would stay before tying the red ribbon over it into a bow.

It was simple enough, and now she had a nice way to keep her hair down without it getting in her face, though I was uncertain she cared either way. Kichi's hair was really long, so I was able to show her the bow easily. She touched it lightly, and then turned to me with the faintest smile I'd ever seen; still it was enough to light up her face and melt my cold, black heart. I smiled back and showed her the other ribbons. "Maybe later you can give these to the other girls, they might like that."

She hummed neutrally, and I was unable to read her intentions. Her gaze shifted to something behind me, and I glanced over my shoulder to find Shin had approached us. "Do you mind if we join?" He asked, beckoning to Sai, who I hadn't spotted until then.

"Sure." I shrugged indifferently. The more the merrier, right? I really liked Kichi, but the goal here was to get to know the other children as well, even if I didn't particularly feel up to the effort at the moment. I knew that somewhere in this room was a child missing it's partner, but with everything going on today I thought that problem could wait a couple more days. Plus, I still hadn't gotten anywhere with Minato on the academy situation, and it was beginning to feel as though my schedule was completely filled.

No time for the small issues.

The boys sat down, and Kichi scooted away from them and closer to me.

"How are you?" Shin inquired, ignoring the movement.

"Fine," I replied. "You guys excited for tomorrow?"

"Yes." Shin said, though I noticed there was a hitch in his tone. That was… not expected, but understandable. It had undoubtedly been quite a long time since these children had been outside and in the public eye; adjusting would take some time before they felt comfortable. My gaze flickered over to Kichi, and I couldn't help the concern I felt for her after thinking on it. I didn't like the thought of her being alone, because she already was despite the fact that the Root children had sort of banned together. Kichi was the anomaly, the loner in this group and I didn't think she would do well on her own.

"I'll be going with you guys tomorrow." I decided suddenly. "Just to help everyone settle in, maybe show everyone around, and I'll start going with you guys to school too. If you have any questions or anything you can ask me, okay?"

He seemed slightly relieved for that, and nodded.

"Could I ask you a favor though?" I continued. "It's just, I can't think of anyone that could help me, and you can say no if you don't want to."

I wouldn't hold it against him if he did. Thankfully, Shin was curious enough to give consent.

"Would you mind watching out for Kichi for me?"

My words surprised all three of them (though it was hard to tell with Kichi), but I meant what I said. I didn't know how it happened, but somewhere along the way I had become invested in seeing her have a better future and I knew that if I made an actual, conscious effort, I could make it happen. It was too depressing to think about, a lonely Kichi; it tugged at parts of me I preferred left untugged, and I kept finding myself coming back to the rationalization that there was no reason both of us had to live solitary lives.

There was so much more redemption in her, so much more potential for a happier life and I was certain that all Kichi really needed was that push to get her going. She was sweet, and cute; surely she'd make friends somewhere along the way and build a brighter future for herself.

She just needed a helping hand.

"I can do that." Shin's voice was firm as he said this, his expression completely serious and somehow the sight left me feeling… well, not unsettled per say, but faintly alarmed. It was a look you did not often see on a child's face, and now having experienced it firsthand I had to wonder this was what I looked like to adults; a baby faced girl with pigtails, hair ribbons, and a mature disposition.

"Thanks." I replied, leaving that thought for a later time. "Now, about tomorrow…"

* * *

When I went to bed that night, I had a hell of a time trying to fall asleep.

After the incident in Minato's office, I wanted nothing more than to talk about it with Kurama, and get a second perspective on the matter. The problem was, I couldn't bring myself to go to him; my mindscape was supposed to have been a safe place, and to have that safety threatened was jarring. I didn't know if the shadows could harm me, I didn't know anything about them other than the fact that they had the power to frighten me. I very carefully did not think too deeply on them when I could help it because their growing presence, their very existence spoke volumes about the state of my mind.

Or perhaps it was the state of my sanity.

Either way, I was left with no choice other than to go over the facts on my own, and maybe that had been a terrible idea. Maybe those deeper, darker parts of my mind had begun to truly show themselves, because when left to my own devices, the solution I came up with was both beautiful, and beyond the realms of insanity.

But it would work.

So when morning came around and the sun had finally started its ascent, I was up and out the door, on my way to find Hana for some last minute adjustments to the outfit. It had to be said that she was a trooper, because in the span of five hours Hana managed to do exactly as I requested, and without a single word of complaint. Her nerves were shot by the time we made it to the Hokage tower and began the process of getting me ready. As she flitted about, helping me dress and styling my hair, I reviewed the mental list of things that needed to be done today, and after going over that four times I moved to the list of exercises I wanted to perfect before Itachi returned.

I couldn't distract myself forever though.

With a resigned sigh, I gathered my strength and faced the truth before me.

What I was about to do was absolute madness, and part of me was scared.

There was nothing for it though, because I was backed into a corner here, the enemy had been stupid enough to show me a little of his hand, and I had an ace up my sleeve. I may not know all that much about this great adversary that liked to hide in the shadows, but the few facts I did know had been enough to paint the picture. He had the means to destroy us all, and though the motive wasn't yet obvious to me it was clear he had that as well. So by all rights with the means and motive he had, we should've been done for by now; this was where things got interesting, and where his downfall began.

This person liked to play games, he liked to set the board and make the rules; invade the village, set off explosions and leading the invading force into Konoha time and time again. No bringing it down in a single sweep though, and that right there was the kicker. Three invasions, a powerhouse like Ren, and the Sanbi on the enemy's side and all he does is strike fear into the hearts of the villagers.

No major casualties, and no clan or political deaths.

He was taking this slow, and he wanted to savor it.

The problem was, by dangling Hiro in front of me, he'd gone too far; by showing me just how eager he was for me to play the game, he had revealed everything I needed to win. This person was a master manipulator, and the thing about manipulators was that ninety nine percent of the time, after they did their magic on you, they expected you to do one of two things; either exactly as they planned, or the complete opposite of it. After all, it was simple human nature to oppose and fight back against what you thought someone wanted you to do.

However, I wasn't going to do either of those things.

The enemy was not to be underestimated, but then, neither was I. Even now he was around somewhere, watching and waiting to see what my next move would be. Just as I had been cocky in my assumptions, he thought he knew what to expect and to him it would be a simple matter of option A or B. The issue with people was that you never really knew as much as you thought you did, and unfortunately for him I wouldn't be so easy to predict. Not because I was smart or strategic or anything like that but purely because I had been through so much that by now I was out of my god damn mind, and willing to do some dubious, insane shit when threatened.

So no, I wasn't going to reveal Hiro for the imposter he was, and neither would I playing along by the rules and choices that had been so cleverly set out for me. There was a third option here, one so unbelievably stupid that it probably never occurred to anyone that wasn't me. It wouldn't be easy, but my tolerance was reaching an end point for people that threatened my freedom. If I was going to be targeted and played with no matter what I did, then it was time to quit the long con and start using the biggest advantage I had.

The enemy had it out for Konoha, and it was beginning to look as though he had it out for me, but he also wanted to savor the experience and that was his biggest weakness, that was his Achilles heel and I doubted he even knew it.

"My god." Hana said, breaking me from my thoughts. "You really are the spinning image of her."

I glanced in the mirror, and after taking in my reflection I couldn't help but agree. Instead of buns and ornate seals, my hair remained in the usual pigtails; only this time the ribbons were thicker and white with kanji written down the middle. In place of a crown, Hana had artfully (and painfully) pinned an array of pearls. The kimono I wore was white as well, the edges and obi red to give it a splash of color; the collar went high, and on the back Hana had added the Uzumaki crest.

It was not an exact replication by any means, but that was sort of the point.

The resemblance had always been there; subconsciously, the villagers had always seen it and I suspected that was where the whole princess business had originated from. Before last night, being a descendant had been enough for me; now though, everything was different. While my goals had not changed, the way I went about achieving them certainly had, and it was no longer good enough, that subconscious association. I needed to give the villagers that little push, to hand them the proper, undeniable means to make the connection between Konoha's OG and Uzumaki Nao.

I simply had to lead them to the water, and they'd drink it themselves.

The world was going to look at me, and see Mito; this would be the foundation I built my master plan upon, I was going to turn heads and get people talking before phase one even began. It went against the grain, but if this was what it took to keep things from going to hell in a handbasket, if this is what I needed to sacrifice in order to secure my freedom, then I would do what had to be done. At the moment, Konoha's enemy was also my own, and I knew that he wanted to savor the hunt and kill, so I wasn't going to give him the chance.

You could not take your time with your prey if you weren't the only one hunting them.

I'd make myself the biggest target the shinobi nations had ever known if that's what it took to get the world's eyes on me. Alliances or assassination attempts, it didn't matter so long as it put a wrench this twisted game, disrupted it to the point where he would be forced to make a desperate move. It was horrendously dangerous, and ultimately selfish because it meant I was willing to drag anyone under, put villages and cities and countries in the line of possible fire in order to end this; anything so long as I, along with those that mattered to me, had a chance of walking away from this somewhat intact.

I was going to bring a reckoning to Konoha,

And god help anyone standing in my way.

* * *

 _Interlude: Kichi P.O.V._

Kichi could not remember ever meeting anyone like the red haired girl in her life.

This was an important factor, because Kichi's memory was excellent, and she had been praised for it many times. She had met a fair amount of people recently, people that smiled at her and spoke in calm tones, asking her questions and watching closely. Those people were… unlike the ones Kichi had known in Root; but they were not all that different, in the end. She had been told that this would be better than Root, but to Kichi it was all the same. They asked questions with only one right answer, assessed her skills, and decided her future just like Root, and they were always watching. Kichi would give the right answer, do as she was told, because there was no real difference in the end.

She had met a lot of people, but none of them were quite like Nao.

Nao was strange; when other people came and asked Kichi to choose between things, there was a reason for it, and she was being tested. Nao had laid out the ribbons and asked her to choose, but when Kichi looked at her she did not feel the weight, could not figure out which one she was supposed to pick. It took her a few moments, but eventually she came to the realization that Nao would not care what color she chose; this gift was not a test in disguise like the others had been; it was just… a gift, like the picture from Nao's last visit.

Just for Kichi.

She chose, and that made Nao happy; so when the girl set out the sweets Kichi ate them, which made her happy again; and Kichi found that it pleased her, how easy it was to make Nao happy without having to give anything away. She also found that she liked the gifts, unexpected as they were and it was such an odd sensation, one she could not recall feeling before Nao. It seemed right, somehow; a strange feeling to go with a strange girl, and it had to be said that Nao was strange. She did not avoid Kichi like the other children did, and neither did she seem uncomfortable in her presence or shy away from Kichi's gaze as most people had always done.

Very peculiar indeed.

Even more perplexing, Kichi felt a little restless at Nao's departure.

She hoped tomorrow would come quickly.

* * *

A/N

This chapter took _forever_ to write. On the bright side, we're finally getting into the overarching theme of things. The end, while still a long way off, is an actual thing so hopefully that gives at least one of you some peace of mind, knowing that there actually is a plot here and that I'm not going to drag a good thing out like what happens with other fics.

Anyway, I said I'd leave a list of the other fics I'm working on so you guys could tell me which one you'd like to read most after Expectations & Revelations ends. Maybe I'll make a poll and leave it up until the end of this fic so old and new readers have a chance to give an opinion or ignore it entirely. Haven't decided yet, not sure anyone actually reads these Author Notes to begin with.

Oh well.

Sakura Haruno Time Travel fic

An AU where our main protagonist is reborn into her life once more, memories intact, only to find that this Konoha was very different from the one she remembered. A seemingly _perfect world_ where Naruto has parents, Sasuke's clan is a vital, active part of the village, and Sakura is too hardened from war and loss to enjoy or believe in any of it. Sometimes that second chance at life isn't a good thing, and all Sakura wanted was to find peace in the death she was owed.

Harry Potter SI fic

A blatant AU where tragedy strikes the Evans family, and the Wizarding world is forever changed. Takes place during fifth year, where the marauders are up to their usual shenanigans, inter-house rivalry is at an all-time high, the Slytherins are unsettled, and a girl with no memories or proof struggles with the unshakable feeling that she is not Lily Evans.

Avatar: The Last Airbender SI Reincarnation fic

In which our protagonist has the misfortune of being born into the Fire Nation's royal family, reborn under the identity of everyone's favorite, unstable princess. Featuring daddy issues, the suffocating weight of oppression under dictatorship, a slew of jokes no one else thinks is funny, and a nonexistent heart of gold.

Genderbent Naruto SI fic.

Where our protagonist is reborn as Naruko Uzumaki, a girl with too much knowledge and not enough motivation to make the world a better place; not for the villagers that mistreated her, and certainly not for the classmates that ostracized her. After all, the world was already set on it's own course, Naruko was just letting the chips fall where they may.

Anyway, that's that.

Thoughts? Questions?

Please Review!


End file.
